The Day Begins
by lizzler
Summary: DL. This is my version of what happens when Danny and Lindsay come back from Montana. Will his past come between them so soon after hers was put behind them? Some SF in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of these characters. If you recognize them, they're not mine. They all beong to CBS and Jerry Bruckheimer. All song lyrics belong to The Moody Blues, they're not mine either.

**Spoilers: **I'd recommend knowing up to the current espisodes, makes it much easier to keep everyone happy.

**A/N: **Okay, this is my first multi-chap fic, so let me know how you like it. Second chapter will be up soon.

Cold hearted orb that rules the night,  
Removes the colors from our sight,  
Red is gray and yellow white,  
But we decide which is right.  
And which is an illusion?  
Pinprick holes in a colorless sky,  
Let insipid figures of light pass by,  
The mighty light of ten thousand suns,  
Challenges infinity and is soon gone.  
Night time, to some a brief interlude,  
To others the fear of solitude.  
Brave Helios wake up your steeds,  
Bring the warmth the countryside needs.

Danny woke with a start. The turbulence from the flight had startled him. He wasn't used to flying. He glanced to his right and calmed down. There she was. Sound asleep, head resting on his shoulder, her hand entwined with his. He relaxed a bit. She was safe. He looked at her again and noticed a small smile playing across her lips. She was happy too. Joy swelled inside of him as he realized that he had gone after her. That she was ready for him; that they could be happy together. His hand squeezed hers tightly as he drifted back into sleep. He whispered four words. I love you Lindsay. And then he was gone.

---------------

_American Airlines Flight 236 from Bozeman, Montana has now arrived at Gate 7._

Stella heard the announcement and wandered in that direction. She had time; Lindsay would have to retrieve her luggage before she could find her way out into the vast crowd that was mulling about the airport. She was glad that the two CSI's were coming back. It had been five weeks since Lindsay had left for Montana. Now she was coming home, escorted by her very own knight in shining armor.

Stella sighed. After Lindsay had left, Danny had been noticeably different. He was working constantly, and hardly ever sleeping. She supposed he was trying to keep his mind off of Lindsay's absence. Then the phone call. He had tried not to seem too worried about Lindsay after Stella had talked to him, told him that Lindsay had called. But it hadn't worked. Danny was worried sick about her, willing to hop on a plane and fly out to Bozeman without a backwards glance. And he had gotten what he wanted - a happy Lindsay, safe and sound. And he was bringing her home.

---------------

"Hey Stella!"

"Danny! Lindsay! Oh, how are you? How did the trial go? Are you two okay? How was your trip? Was the plane ride okay? When are you coming back to work?" Stella finally stopped to take a breath as she realized Danny was holding Lindsay's hand tightly with his left hand, and pulling her suitcase along with his right.

"Nice to see you too Stella! Although next time, give us a chance to answer the question before you ask another. Now to summarize, I'm fine, trial was good, he was convicted, Danny's fine, plane ride was smooth, and we're both coming back to work Monday." Lindsay spouted off quickly.

Stella smiled sheepishly. "Sorry about that, I haven't seen you in so long!" She stepped forward and grabbed Lindsay in a bone-crushing hug. "It's just good to see you again. I'm glad you're doing okay, everyone's missed you."

"Well, I missed everyone back at the lab too." Lindsay said, massaging her ribs where Stella had grabbed her.

"The SUV is in the parking lot outside. Come on, I'll drive the two of you home."

_Home, _Danny thought. _Home, sweet home._

_Home, _Lindsay thought. She looked over to Danny. _I've already found it._


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Unfortunately nothing that you recognize belongs to me, it all belongs to Jerry Bruckheimer and CBS. Except for the song lyrics which belong to The Moody Blues.

**Spoilers:** Have a good idea about what's going on in the current episodes, makes my job a lot easier.

**A/N:** Okay, here's the second chapter, thanks for the reviews on the first. Just to let you know, all mistakes are mine, because this is un-beta'd. Hope you don't find too many of those. Enjoy...

Something, calls to me,  
The trees are drawing me near,  
I've got to find out why  
Those gentle voices I hear  
Explain it all with a sigh.

"So, where to?" Stella asked, looking through the rear-view mirror at Danny and Lindsay, snuggled up together in the backseat.

Lindsay looked up into Danny's eyes and saw he was thinking the same thing. "Danny's apartment, Stel. And thank you."

Stella glanced back at her two friends and knew that there was more going on than she was being told. But she didn't mind. They would let her know what was going on between them when they were ready. She wouldn't push. Her day in the office pool was still four days away anyway.

---------------

"Hey Lindsay, glad to see you're back!"

"Lindsay, it's nice to see you again."

"How's it going Linds?"

Lindsay was a little embarrassed by the amount of attention she was granted as she was getting ready for work. _I hope it's not going to be like this all day._ Lindsay thought to herself. _What a way to make it difficult to concentrate. I've already got Danny as a distraction, what more do I need?_ She walked into Mac's office and immediately got her wish.

"Lindsay, we've got a homicide at an apartment on 5th. Flack is already there, take Danny and go. Oh, and welcome back."

Well, almost her wish anyway. At least Mac was glad to see her, but it was all business as usual, and Lindsay was glad to be back in the action. Working with Danny would be nice too. Flack would be a whole other story.

---------------

"So, from what I gather, our vic was listening to music on his computer through headphones. Shot in the back of the head, execution style. Probably never saw it coming; headphones would have worked to the killer's advantage. The killer beat in the vic's face and cut off the fingertips to prevent identification. It's not pretty. Oh, and I almost forgot; welcome back you two. You and me are going to be talking later Messer." He winked and walked off to question the tenants of the apartment building.

Danny and Lindsay had just made it to the crime scene and gotten their de-briefing from Flack when they opened the door. The smell of iron in the air made it obvious that this was not going to be pretty. Blood was pooled around the vic who had fallen off his chair and now lay on a heap on the floor.

Danny walked over to the body and took a closer look. "Face is unrecognizable; the killer did a good job of disguising the identity. Can't run prints, we can try DNA through CODIS, but I'm not holding out much hope on that hill."

He glanced over to see how Lindsay was doing. She was looking around the room, stopping at the computer. "Loud music, lots of rock on this play list. He also seems to have some Microsoft word document open, unlabeled; we'll have to get this computer into the lab to be looked over. We could find something useful on it."

She reached for the mouse and clicked on the document. A screen opened with a simple message written on it.

_Check his DNA. You might get more than you bargained for._

"What the hell does this mean?" asked Lindsay quietly. "Message from the killer obviously, but why go to all this trouble to conceal his identity then tell us to run his DNA? It doesn't make any sense."

Flack wandered over. "Just talked to the neighbours. No help whatsoever. He was a quiet guy who never talked to anyone; real unsociable. Nobody knew who he was. I got nothing, hope you guys came up with more."

"This crime scene is immaculate, there's no hairs or fibers on the body, no distinguishing tool marks, looks like the beating might have been done with bare hands. Only thing I got is the fingers were cut with a knife, most likely one with a serrated edge. No real help though; I'm guessing that knife lying on the floor over there did the job." Danny stated, getting up from the body and walking over to the bloody knife lying on the floor. He bagged it and then headed to the kitchen.

"We got a missing steak knife from a set. Looks like our knife belongs with it. Killer's an opportunist." Danny called over from the kitchen.

"Well, I get he was beaten, I get he had his fingertips cut off, but what's the cause of death?" asked Flack.

"Good question. We're going to have to let Sid tell us that. There's no outward signs of anything that might have been fatal. Again, it's hard to tell with so much blood, but we'll find out at autopsy later." Lindsay answered.

---------------

"Cause of death is anaphylactic shock. Your vic was allergic to peanuts, and I found peanut butter in his stomach, along with a variety of other foods. The peanut butter dosage was small, but just enough to kill him. I'd call it an accident-"

"Were it not for the circumstances the crime scene was left in." finished Lindsay. "Thanks Sid, I'll go tell Danny, and hope he finds out who our guy is."

---------------

"Hey Danny, COD was anaphylactic shock. Allergic to peanuts and peanut butter was found in his stomach by Sid."

"Well, I just loaded his DNA into CODIS, let's see what we get. It may take a while, you wanna grab lunch?"

"What did you have in mind?" Lindsay asked, walking over to him and wrapping her arms around him in a soft embrace.

"Well, there's this little café just down the street I thought we could..." He stopped talking because at that moment a beep from the computer told him a match had been found.

Lindsay leaned over to the computer. "That was fast, looks like our vic has a previous record, nothing dangerous, looks like a few misdemeanors, here's one for armed robbery and..."

"What else?"

"And a possible affiliation with the Tanglewood Boys."

Danny froze. Not again. He had had about enough of these guys. "What's his name?"

"Antonio Figlioni."

Danny spun around so fast Lindsay was sure he had given himself whiplash. "What did you just say?"

"Antonio Figlioni, why did you know him?"

"Yeah, I knew him. Tony, my next door neighbour, and best friend from grade school."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** None of the characters you recognize are mine, no matter how much I keep wishing for them to be. They belong to CBS and Jerry Bruckheiner. Song lyrics belong to The Moody Blues.

**Spoilers:** Just have an idea of what's going on in the curent episodes to be safe.

**A/N:** All this is un-beta'd so all mistakes are my own. Thanks to all of you who are reviewing, it keeps me going. hope you enjoy it...

Breathe deep the gathering gloom  
Watch lights fade from every room  
Bedsitter people look back and lament  
Another day's useless energy spent.

"What? Oh Danny, I'm so sorry."

"Tony; he never got it when I told him the Tanglewood Boys were dangerous. I mean, him and me, we idled them for so long. Looked up to my brother. But they ain't nothing but a bunch of scumbags. Now he's paid for it." He looked down and Lindsay could see tears running down his cheeks and she stood quietly, knowing Danny needed time to think.

"I gotta go talk to Mac." He said finally and walked out of the lab without a backwards glance. Lindsay looked down the hall after him, all thought of having lunch with him gone. Danny had had one too many run-ins with the Tanglewood Boys, and they were dangerous. They had proved that already with the beating death of Danny's brother Louie last year. She was scared for him. She shivered involuntarily as she slowly walked the same path Danny had taken to Mac's office.

---------------

"Careful Stella!" Flack said as he grabbed her to keep her from falling over.

"Sorry, I didn't even see you there," she replied hurriedly, grabbing the file she had dropped, not looking into his eyes. She didn't want to think about the little feeling at the bottom of her stomach she'd had when he touched her. "I was just on my way to Mac's office, apparently that case you were on earlier has some serious problems. You coming?"

"Sure, but what do you mean? We don't even know who the victim is yet."

"Don't ask me, I just got a page from Mac telling him to meet me in his office, and that it was about this case. I don't know any more than you do."

She glanced over at Don's face. It was impassive, not letting her know anything. _Does he know something that he's not telling me? _She thought. But she let it go. She needed to get to Mac's office, now. One did not ignore a 911 page from Mac for very long.

---------------

"Stella, Flack, come in, I need to brief you on what's going on with the 5th street homicide."

Stella and Flack both walked through the doors to Mac's office, both fully aware of the fact that Danny and Lindsay were seated in chairs in front of Mac's desk, and that Danny was obviously distraught. This couldn't be good news.

"Now that you're all here, this is what we know. The victim from the 5th street apartment has come up with an unusually quick hit on CODIS. His name is Anthony Figlioni, and he has some affiliation with the Tanglewood Boys." Mac noticed that Lindsay stiffened and Danny flinched when he said this. Stella looked a little confused, and Flack was neutral. "Danny has recused himself from the case and has been put on desk duty for the next two weeks, so Lindsay is going to need your help Stella. We need to get this case solved quickly before the situation gets messy. Take as much overtime as you need, and find out if Sonny Sassone is behind this."

Stella still looked a little shocked. "Why is Danny on desk duty? Surely we're going to need him on other cases we get in?"

Mac sighed. She was too smart to let this go unnoticed. "Danny does know the victim, and I have given him desk duty as a result of stress. I don't want him doing too much. Sheldon and I will work whatever cases come in, and if absolutely necessary, we will bring in some CSI's from other shifts. Right, now, this is our priority. All lab work is rush, and will be first in line for any processing. Now, I suggest we all get back to work."

Finally Flack spoke quietly. "You mentioned Sassone may be involved. Is he still in jail?"

"No. He was released three days ago." It was Danny who spoke this time. My parents called me yesterday to tell me. Louie's killer is out. I haven't spoken to my parents in a long time, not since Louie's funeral. Until yesterday."

Lindsay looked at Danny and felt her heart break. She saw the pain in his eyes and knew that his past was no more fortunate than hers had been. The only difference was she now had closure, a life-in-prison settlement to help with that. Danny had nothing. This was a constant threat. She wanted more than anything to just hold him in her arms, like he had done with her after the trial. To protect him like he had protected her. She settled with laying her hand on top of his gently. He responded by grasping it tightly and looking deeply into her eyes.

"I'll see you tonight; I'll drop by your apartment after work, okay?"

He just nodded, throat too tight to speak, as she got up and walked with Stella out of the office to go back to processing the crime scene.

---------------

Lindsay sat at the computer in the lab, staring at the screen where a blank "No Match" had popped up in front of her. Again nothing. Stella walked in, and the look on her face told Lindsay she had fared no better. _Damn. Whoever did this left nothing behind – absolutely no evidence._

"What'd you get?" Stella asked.

"A big fat zero staring at me from the computer screen."

"Same here. Ok. Let's look at what we've got. A bloody knife used to cut off the vic's fingers. Only problem is it belongs with a kitchen knife set from the vic's apartment. There are no fingerprints, no separate blood donors, no fibers, no hairs; what have we got left?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing." Lindsay finally said out loud. "We're not even back at square one here Stel, we're in the negatives. Unless something miraculous happens, we find a new piece of evidence, or Sid comes back to tell us he made a mistake, then we have nothing."

Just then a beeping made both women look at their phones.

_Vic left some more evidence after all. You may want to take a look._

_-Sid_

Both women read the message, took one look at the other, and headed down to the morgue.

---------------

Flack was having a dickens of a time. Nobody wanted to give him a straight answer and he was starting to get frustrated.

He had driven over to the prison where Sonny Sassone had been held, trying to find out the reason behind his release. And no one would tell him anything. He finally got a wayward answer from another inmate. "His time was up, his time was up, his time was up..." Flack couldn't remember how many times the guy had said that, whatever it meant. All he had gotten so far was that Sassone had been released to be put on house arrest. _Great punishment. No wonder he has no problem committing crimes. It's not even like we punish him for it._

He pulled the visitor's log from the time Sonny was in prison and found one name that popped up again and again. Flack just stared. That couldn't be right. No way. Why would _he_ be visiting Sonny?

---------------

"I looked over the vic several times, and found something interesting. Take a look."

Stella leaned over the body to look at what Sid was pointing to. On the vic's right hand, below the knuckle, there was a thin slice, possibly a knife wound.

"Laceration to the back of the hand, most likely made by the killer, but get this. It wasn't made from the same knife as the one used to cut his fingertips off. Look at the shape of the wound, and how smooth it is. This cut was made by something sharp, and circular. And I found a piece of it in the hand."

He held up a pair of tweezers that were grasping a thin piece of what looked like glass. "Even better, I got some DNA off of it, not matching our vic's. I think it may have belonged to the killer. DNA already has it; the results should be ready soon."

"Thanks Sid."

Lindsay bagged the piece of glass and headed up to DNA with Stella.

"You're just in time for the results of the foreign DNA on that glass pulled out of the vic's hand." said Adam as the two CSI's walked into the DNA lab. "Found a match in CODIS." Stella leaned forward and read the name on the computer screen.

"No way. That can't be right"

"It is. I checked it, that's your guy." Lindsay glanced at the screen and her insides felt like they had disappeared. This was not good. Not good at all.

While the three of them were looking at the blinking name on the screen, Stella's cell phone rang. It was Flack.

"Hey, I just finished looking through these prison visiting records for Sonny Sassone. One name keeps popping up, I have a feeling that we need to talk to him."

"I'm getting the same feeling over here." Stella answered.

Flack said a name, and Stella agreed. "Yeah, his DNA was just found on a piece of glass in the vic's hand. I think he needs a chance to explain himself."

Lindsay's insides returned, but now they felt like they were filled with lead. Flack had come across the same name? This was not good. Lindsay prayed that this would not hurt Danny as much as she thought it would. This was going to be a long shift.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** Unfortunately nothing that you recognize is mine; I just like to borrow them. Characters are from the brilliant minds of CBS and Jerry Bruckheimer, song lyrics are from the Moody Blues.

**Spoilers:** Please have some idea as to what's going on in the current episodes.

**A/N:** Amazingly, alerts seem to be working again, so lots of reviews, I will try and respond to you all, if I don't, then it was purely an oversight and I apologize, so go hit that blue button...

Minds are subject to what should be done  
Problem solved, time cannot be won  
One hour a day  
One hour at night  
Sees crowds of people  
All meant for flight

Stella and Lindsay were sitting in the break room, trying to grab a quick bite to eat, when Danny walked in. "How's the case going?" he tried to ask casually, but faltered. Lindsay, recognizing the waver in Danny's question, knew that they couldn't tell him what they had found out. Not yet.

"We have some DNA tests waiting to come back; Sid's looking over the body once more. We're kind of at that waiting point where we can't do much." Lindsay said quickly, hoping Stella would get the point and not let Danny know too much.

He just nodded and sat down beside Lindsay. Stella decided to leave the two of them alone. Flack should be coming in with the suspect soon, at least Lindsay could keep Danny occupied and not let him see what was going on. She wandered off down the hallway in search of Mac, to let him know what they had found.

"How are you doing Danny?" Lindsay asked as she snuggled up into his arm.

"Much better now that I'm with you Montana" He responded by pulling her closer. God, how he missed her when he was away from her, even if it was just for a moment. He would do anything for this girl. She was one of the first people to really care about him, not just see him as a New York kid turned cop. Sure, the rest of the lab cared for him, but it wasn't a deep bond. He had only shared this type of bond with two people in his life. Flack and Aiden. And even then, the bond was only friendship. No wonder he had started off less than kind towards Lindsay, who had replaced Aiden. He had tried to annoy her by calling her Montana. That is until it became a nickname that they both had grown fond of, and instead of annoying her, it became a symbol of affection. Thinking of this, he closed his eyes and just concentrated on Lindsay; her hands clasping the back of his neck, the smell of her hair, the feel of her flesh under his hands. He was addicted to her, and as he kissed her, he felt his walls break, and he sat there, in her arms, crying; wondering how she could care for him like she did. She was whispering "It's alright, let it out, it's alright, I'm here". It was all he could hear and he held onto that thought, letting it anchor him. After all they had been through, she still cared for him. But she was too good for him; wasn't she?

---------------

Flack grimaced as he looked at the door of the apartment in front of him. Why did he have to do it? Why did he have to get himself messed up in this? This was going to be the final straw for Danny. Just when he had a chance of happiness with Monroe, this was going to blow it. The poor guy, he hadn't had an easy year; Aiden's death, his brother's death, Don himself almost being blown to pieces, Lindsay turning him down. Flack groaned inwardly and decided to get this over and done with. He'd bring this guy down to the station and question him. But what was he going to tell Danny? _Forget it. If you stand out here any longer his neighbors will be calling the cops on _you_. Just grit your teeth and do it. Come on Flack. And go!_

He raised his hand and knocked on the door. It was answered by a man in his late fifties to early sixties, who was still in very good shape. He was tall, over six feet and did not look like the type of guy you wanted to mess with. Unfortunately that was exactly what Flack was planning to do.

"What're you doin' here?" asked the man, looking down on him with a sneer.

"Uh, sir, I'm here to request that you come down to the station for questioning. We found something of interest at a crime scene and were hoping you could clear it up for us." Flack's voice was steady, even if his insides were shaking like mad.

"An' if I say no?"

"I'll be forced to come back with a warrant, and bring you in anyway."

"Well let's git this over and done with now, huh?" the man said, a trace of patronization recognizable in his voice, even through the thick Staten Island accent. "Come on Detective Flack, lead the way." He let go a deep laugh that sounded more like a bark. Flack wasn't sure why, but it made his hair stand on end. Flack hadn't seen this man in years, and he had no wish to talk to him again, but here he was. Their first meeting was not a pleasant encounter, and this one, though less violent, was not shaping up to be much better.

Flack walked the man down to his unmarked car and drove to the police station, all the while hoping desperately that Danny would not see him bringing this man into custody.

---------------

Mac sat at his desk, leaning back in his chair, eyes closed. He and Sheldon had been working all the cases left abandoned by the other CSI's as they struggled to find the murderer of Figlioni. This was his first time to rest in a while, and he was enjoying it. Lights off, cool room, he tried to avoid the headache he could feel coming on by popping some painkillers. He would have time for the headache later, but not now. There was still a lot of work to be done.

"Mac, you awake?" Mac jumped, surprised to see Stella in front of him. He must have drifted off.

"Yeah, just taking a rest, been a busy day."

"It's about to get worse. We found a suspect for the homicide; Flack's bringing him in now to talk to him. You're not going to like it Mac. There are way too many ties to the Tanglewood Boys and other organized crime in this case."

"Start at the beginning, and tell me what's going on" Mac stated simply.

Stella took him through the lack of evidence at the crime scene to the break that Sid caught. She told him about Flack checking the prison visiting logs and finding a name; a name that also appeared as the DNA match to the glass in the victim's hand.

"And Flack is bringing him in now, but we don't know how to tell Danny." Stella finished.

Mac sighed. This was a problem to be sure, and the headache he had been fighting back sprang on him with full force, causing him to grimace with pain. "I'll talk to him after you and Flack have finished the interrogation. I'll be an observer, and take what we know to Danny. You're right. I don't like this one bit, but we are going to have to deal with it. "

Stella nodded and she and Mac turned to leave the office to meet Flack at the interrogation room.

---------------

Mac looked through the one-way mirror and saw Stella sit down next to Flack, across from the suspect. Flack put a voice recorder on the table in front of him.

"You have agreed to talk to us without a lawyer present?"

"Got nothin' to hide so why the hell would I need a lawyer? The man answered.

Flack continued as though he had not heard the man's answer.

"This is an official statement so we will be recording it." He reached forward and turned the recorder on. "Please state your name and address for the record."

"Joseph Messer, 1365 Copley St, Staten Island, New York."


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** Again, nothing you recognize is mine, and probably never will be. It's the property of CBS and Jerry Bruckheimer, while the song lyrics belong to the Moody Blues.

**Spoilers:**A good knowledge of what is happening in the episodes is helpful.

**A/N:** Okay, so here we go again. It's pretty late as I'm writing this, so there may be more mistakes than usual, I've checked and re-checked, but staring at a computer screen while I'm tired may not be the best way to edit. And all mistakes are mine as I have no beta. Anyone interested in the job can let me know. This is my last supply of stocked up chapters, so they will probably take a little bit longer to be posted. Don't worry; I won't keep you waiting too long!

My love is burning, like a forest fire.  
My heart is yearning, I feel a warm desire.  
And now I'm lonely I want to tough the fire  
So deep within you.

Danny fidgeted as he sat in Mac's office, wondering why he had been called there. Didn't Mac realize he had a lot on his plate right now, and that he needed something to do, something to keep his mind off of the case that could destroy his life? _Of course he realizes; he just doesn't care._ Said a bitter voice in Danny's head, and he immediately felt ashamed. Mac cared about him a lot; whether or not he would ever admit it or not was a different story. So Danny just sat there, wondering what Mac needed to talk to him about.

"Ah, Danny, there you are, please sit down." Mac told Danny as he stood up to greet him.

"What's up Mac? You said you needed to talk to me about something?"

"Danny, I need you to listen before you say anything, okay? This will not be easy for you to hear, and I think you need to hear me out. Can you do that?"

Danny nodded his head, suddenly wishing Lindsay was there. He needed her hand on his to make him settle, his heart was beating so fast at the moment that he was sure he was going to have a heart attack. Why didn't Mac get on with it? It had to be about the case after all, so why didn't he just say it?

"We apprehended a suspect today, who Flack just finished speaking to. The man's DNA was found on a laceration on the victim's hand, and his name was also listed several times on the visiting log for Sonny Sassone." Danny swallowed with some difficulty. Suddenly his throat didn't feel like working. God, he wished Lindsay were there, he had a feeling of dread. He really didn't want to know who the suspect was. He just wanted to go home, and wake up tomorrow, next to Lindsay, while realizing that it was all a dream. But that wouldn't happen. As he looked up into Mac's eyes, he saw that the truth had to be told. He had to know, even though it was going to hurt. So he braced himself, stared at Mac and waited with baited breath for the suspect's name.

"Danny, the man – he..." Mac tried again. "The suspect in Figlioni's murder is your father."

Danny didn't move. Mac was surprised. He expected some type of reaction, whether rage, disgust, frustration, confusion, something. But Danny did nothing. He just sat there, staring at Mac. Then, without warning, he collapsed onto the floor, out like a light. Mac freaked. He called Hawkes, told him to get up to his office, he called Lindsay, told her to meet them at the hospital, he called an ambulance, and he called Flack. This was not the usual stony-faced Mac Taylor. This was the genuinely scared-for-a-friend Mac. Danny had passed out after hearing that his father was somehow involved in all of this. Mac knew the two of them weren't very close, but a blow like that, it would make anyone tremble, especially if your father was involved in organized crime, like Danny's was suspected to be.

---------------

Mac could feel his headache get worse. This case was breaking apart his team. All of them were working long hours, and all of them were overly stressed because of how Danny was feeling. They were like family, when one person was unhappy, the rest felt the consequences, and Mac feared that his lab was going to spiral out of control quickly, before he had any chance to bring them together again. Mac grimaced, hands kneading his forehead in an attempt to assuage the pain he was feeling. He glanced up, looking over to the hospital bed where Danny lay. Sheldon had monitored Danny until the ambulance had arrived and taken him to the hospital. Then Lindsay had come rushing in. Face white and wringing her hands she demanded that Mac tell her what had happened. He had simply pointed her in the direction of Danny's bed, and she had gone rushing off to see him. They now lay together on the bed, wrapped in each other, each holding the other so tightly that it became difficult to tell which legs were whose.

The doctor had told him that there was nothing dangerously wrong with Danny. He was suffering from over-exertion, sleep deprivation, and stress. When combined, the simplest thing for Danny's body to do was shut down. The doctor's orders were simple. "We'll keep him overnight for observation, and release him in the morning. Keep him out of the workplace, it's simply too stressful for him. He needs someone to watch over him as well. Get somebody to stay with him. Oh, and don't let him do anything that will over-exert himself. In other words, don't let him do anything rash. Take it easy."

Mac closed his eyes. Lindsay was the obvious choice for watching over Danny, he would be surprised if she hadn't been planning on staying over anyway. Danny needed her, and she cared deeply for him, Mac could see that. Only problem was during the day. Lindsay was still on the case, and could not take the time off that she would need to keep an eye on him. Danny was obviously off work indefinitely, and that would already leave him a CSI short. It was time to call in a favour, somebody Danny could stand being around for a day...

---------------

Lindsay lay next to Danny on his hospital bed, arms wrapped tightly around him. The fear that had coursed through her body was excruciating, an actual physical pain when she had received the call from Mac. He had simply told her to meet them at the hospital; that Danny was being taken there by an ambulance. Wild theories and impossibilities chased themselves around Lindsay's mind, each more outrageous than the last, until she had finally been told that it was not serious; Danny was simply too stressed for his health. This, unfortunately, didn't make Lindsay feel much better. He was so stressed out that he was collapsing at random periods. This was almost worse than him having a diagnosable, treatable illness. There was no set recovery time for this. Then Lindsay corrected herself. There _was_ a set recovery time. However long it took for her to wrap up the case, tie off the loose ends, and close Danny's past. Lindsay grew cold at the thought. This was going to be harder than she thought.

---------------

Danny woke up in a cold sweat, but didn't open his eyes. He felt someone stir next to him, and for a moment, just a moment, his heart swelled with joy. He was at home, with Montana next to him. There had been no murder, no incident of Mac telling him the suspect was his father. It was all a dream. Satisfied with that answer, he opened his eyes. And his insides turned to ice. He was in a hospital room. His heart sank. It had all been true. Every bit of it. He rolled over and his Montana _was _lying there. But not the way he had imagined it. She was curled into him, holding on desperately, and Danny could see the stains on her face that her tears had left behind. He realized she was asleep, and felt his heart sink. She had been crying over him, for him. She was at his side, there for him like he was there for her at the trial. He could only wonder what she must have thought, hearing that he was in the hospital. _Nice one bucko. She was working hard, trying to be there for you, and you mess it up by passing out in your boss's office. She was probably terrified out of her fucking mind. Brilliant._ A voice in Danny's head was driving him crazy, although he grudgingly admitted it had a point.

He looked at her once more, and realized that he had never cared for someone so much in his life. He was deeply in love with her, something he hadn't realized until this moment. Usually this thought scared the hell out of him, but thinking about Lindsay being the one girl for him didn't make him feel scared. It made him feel complete. Without her, he was missing a part of himself. He made a vow to himself. From now on, he would not let his past affect her. He would listen to the case and not let it affect him like this anymore. The tearstains on her flushed cheeks were his motivation. He hated seeing her cry, and would do anything to prevent it. He would do anything for her, including bury his past. From now on, he was going to be the perfect gentleman, putting Lindsay before anything else, and making sure that she was never hurt again. He closed his eyes, pulled her close, and drifted back into sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **None of this is mine; it belongs to CBS, Jerry Bruckheimer, and the lyrics to The Moody Blues.

**Spoilers:** I am personally convinced that there are none, but that be said, I often don't notice them. So to be safe, please have a general knowledge of the current episodes. That way, no one gets angry at me.

**A/N:** Okay, so it took a little while to post, but it's longer than my previous chapters, and I think it's worth the wait. Let me know if you agree... Just hit that blue button...

**A/N2:** All of my writing is still un-beta'd, so all mistakes are my own. If anyone feels annoyed by these mistakes, you are free to let me know and you are welcome to help beta the next chapters. If nobody has a problem, then neither do I.

Be it sight, sound, the smell, the touch.  
There's something,  
Inside that we need so much,  
The sight of a touch, or the scent of a sound,  
Or the strength of an Oak with roots deep in the ground.  
The wonder of flowers, to be covered, and then to burst up,  
Thru tarmack, to the sun again,  
Or to fly to the sun without burning a wing,  
To lie in the meadow and hear the grass sing,  
To have all these things in our memories hoard,  
And to use them,  
To help us,  
To find...

Lindsay awoke the next morning to the sound of running water. She opened her eyes and realized that Danny must have been in the shower. She jumped when her cell phone rang. It was Mac. Lindsay glanced at the clock and cursed out loud. She was supposed to have been at work a half-hour ago. "Hey Mac, I'm so sorry, I'll be at work as soon as I can." Lindsay mumbled through the phone, ashamed at the fact her boss had to remind her she had a job.

"It's no problem Lindsay. I figured you might be late today what with everything going on. We've got no new cases, so Sheldon and I have been working on the Figlioni case. You can head in whenever you are able, don't rush. Take your time. I want you ready to work and not distracted when you get here." Take care of Danny, drive him home. I've got someone there to meet him."

Lindsay felt a rush of gratitude toward Mac at that moment. "Thanks so much Mac, I'll be in as soon as I can get Danny out of here." With that, she hung up and went over to the washroom.

Danny had just finished changing when Lindsay walked over. "Hey Montana, how are you feeling? Hope I didn't scare you too much eh?" Danny attempted to make the mood light, but Lindsay's face made him choke on his next words. "I'm sorry."

Lindsay heard him speaking but couldn't understand what he was saying. She was just so glad that he was okay. She ran over to him and sank into him, relishing the fact that he was still able to hold her like he was doing now. "I'm so glad you're here." She said.

"I'll never go." Replied Danny. They made eye contact and Danny kissed her gently. Lindsay felt her knees go weak as she melted into him, deepening the kiss. "Whoa, slow down there Montana. We'll finish this another time." Said Danny.

Danny was just getting all his things together and signing the papers that would allow him to leave the hospital when Lindsay caught up with him. They walked down to the parking lot in silence, each grasping the other's hand tightly. They were silent still as Lindsay walked with Danny to his apartment. Then they reached his door and she found she didn't want to let go of him. He just looked at her, eyes full of love, and Lindsay couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed him, pulled him close and kissed him. Danny responded quickly, and unlocked the door, without moving his mouth from hers. When it was open, they hurriedly stepped inside, still close to each other, hungrily looking into each other's eyes. Danny closed the door, and spun Lindsay around so he could see where they were going. He took one step forward and quickly broke off the kiss.

Lindsay wasn't sure how to feel. She was sure everything was going fine, and then Danny had nearly thrown her away from himself in his haste to put some distance between the two of them. What was wrong? Had she done something? Then she looked at Danny's face, realizing he had gone very red and was looking over her shoulder to a point behind her, somewhere in the kitchen she reasoned.

Lindsay turned around and received a very big shock. _Oops. Now _this _is embarrassing. Remember not to talk to Flack for at least a week._ She thought to herself. She could feel her face go as red as Danny's was. And she knew it too. Mac had told her he had asked someone to stay with Danny, Lindsay just hadn't remembered. Too bad. Now she was going to have to deal with everyone in the lab asking her about her and Danny's relationship.

Her thoughts were cut short when the man said "I'll have to take a piece out of Don. No one ever tells me anything anymore."

Danny smiled sheepishly and walked over and embraced the man who had been like a brother to him for years. "Hey Jason! I haven't seen you in a while man. It scared the shit out of me when I saw you."

"Some things never change." Replied Jason Flack, Don's younger brother. "How are you Lindsay?" he asked, walking over and shaking her hand. "It's good to see you again. I'd hug you too, but I think Danny here may get a little jealous. After all, he knows I am a much better catch and I do have a reputation for being a ladies man."

Lindsay laughed. She hadn't seen Jason in quite a while. He worked night shift as an EMT, and consequently, rarely saw them except for the occasional time he met them at a crime scene. "It's good to see you too, Jason." Lindsay said, trying to hide the giggling fit she knew was coming. She could see Danny just behind Jason's shoulder shaking his head.

Lindsay felt a wave of relief pass over her. Mac had definitely picked the right person to watch over Danny when she had to work. Jason and Danny had almost grown up together, with him being only a year and a half younger than Don. Lindsay didn't know a lot, but she did know that Danny and Don had gone to the same high school and Danny had been over at the Flack's so much he had a spare room he stayed in. Whenever Danny had had too much at home, he would head over to the Flack residence, and stay with them. Jason would be perfect for watching over Danny because he wouldn't push him. He cared about him and knew what to say to make Danny loosen up. Being an EMT didn't hurt either. If Danny had any troubles, there was the medical help, right there with him.

"Sorry to cut the visit short, but I have to head into work." Lindsay said.

"No problem, but I'm glad I was here, or I have a feeling that you would have been a lot later when you finally made it to he lab." Jason winked at her and Lindsay felt herself blush yet again.

"It was good to see you Jason. I have a shortened shift today, thanks to Mac. He told me I'm not allowed to work a lot right now, that I should be with Danny, so I should be back around eleven. I just need to run to my apartment and grab some stuff that will hold me for a few days over here. Thanks for staying with him Jason.

"No problem. My shift starts at midnight so that should give us a little time to talk before I have to leave tonight. See you then."

"Take care of Danny for me." She said with a smirk aimed at Danny. He replied by scowling at her. "Bye."

---------------

Lindsay ran through the halls to Mac's office, nearly sending Adam flying when she turned a corner. "I'm so sorry Adam!" she apologized profusely, helping him up from the ground.

"No problem." He said, groaning slightly as he accepted her hand and pulled himself off the floor. "Mind telling me where you were in such a rush to get to?"

"Mac's office, I'm late for my shift and I need to get to work on the Figlioni case."

"Well, you might want to give him this." Adam held out a file for her to take, and she accepted it.

"What's this?"

"It's the report telling you just what the piece of glass was in the vic's hand." Replied Adam.

"And?" prompted Lindsay.

"And it's a part of a DVD."

"A DVD? As in something you watch on TV?"

"As in something you watch on TV." Adam confirmed.

"Well that opens up a whole other set of possibilities. We need to find that DVD, and find out what was on it. It might have been worth killing for. Thanks Adam."

Lindsay walked away as Adam nodded in her direction. She went off to find Mac.

"There you are Lindsay. How is Danny doing?"

"He's fine Mac, I'm glad you sent Jason over. Danny was happy to see him."

"Good. He can keep Danny occupied for a while." Mac said with a smile. He was glad to hear Danny was doing better.

"Oh! Adam gave me these results." Lindsay said handing the folder over to Mac.

"A DVD? That makes things interesting. It could have been the motive for killing our vic."

"That was my thought. I figured I'd go back to the crime scene and see what I could find. It may have been left there, although I have to admit it's probably more likely the killer took it."

"Sounds like a good idea. Take Flack with you. Let me know when you get back."

"Alright, see you later." Lindsay left Mac's office in search of Flack. It wasn't long before she found him talking to Stella.

"Hey you guys." Lindsay said, walking through the door of Stella's office. Both of them jumped and looked around, looking a little embarrassed. "Oh. I can come back later, if you two are busy.' Lindsay couldn't resist throwing in a jibe like that.

"No, it's okay, I was just headed out to grab some food, was wondering if Flack wanted anything." Answered Stella quickly.

"Alright, alright. Hey Flack, I'm headed back to the crime scene, want to come with?"

"Sure, but what are we going back for?"

"The piece of glass material in the vic's hand was a part of a DVD."

"That opens up some possibilities" Stella cut in.

_Where have I heard that before?_ Thought Lindsay. She answered by saying "Yeah, so I thought I'd head back to the scene, see if I could find a broken DVD. There's no question we need to find out what was on that DVD."

"I'll see you later then Stella. Rain check on the food."

"Definitely. Let me know if you find anything."

"Will do." With that, Flack and Lindsay left the lab.

---------------

"So, Monroe, I hear you have been keeping secrets." Flack looked at her with a smirk.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Lindsay put on her best innocent face and hoped that Jason hadn't told his brother too much.

"I think you do. See I think that there is a certain Mr. Messer who has captured your attention of late. And I also think that you have captured his. By the way, my informant wishes to remain anonymous."

Lindsay looked over at Flack who was trying not to burst into laughter. She gave up. She let it out and the result was the two of them in uncontrollable laughing, gasping for breath. When the giggling had subsided Don took on a more serious note.

"Seriously Lindsay, what exactly is going on with the two of you? I mean, not that I'm wanting to gossip, but I do have the ability to change my day in the office pool."

"What office pool?" Lindsay asked, feeling that she may not want to know the answer.

"Oh, you know - the office pool that was set up allowing us to guess the day when you and Messer would start dating. It's been set up since the day after you started working here."

Lindsay's face said all Flack needed to know. "Awesome. It's my day in the pool. Guess I win."

Lindsay responded by punching him in the arm. "I can't believe you! Who is involved in this?"

"Oh, you know, Stella, Mac, Hawkes, Adam, Sid, me, Marty, a couple lab techs..."

"WHAT?"

Flack just laughed. Lindsay suddenly felt the need to flip the attention. "Alright Mr. Smart Ass, you aren't going to tell anyone about this, do you hear me?"

"And why not?"

"Because if you tell anyone, then I will spill the beans about your "crush" on a certain Miss Bonasera." Replied Lindsay. She was fishing, but had a hunch about the way Flack felt.

Flack looked very uncomfortable, shifting in the driver's seat. "How many people know about that?" he asked.

"Just you, me, and the airbag as long as nobody knows about Danny and me." Replied Lindsay. She had struck gold.

Flack looked over at her once. She was staring at him, a determined look on her face. There was no doubt in his mind that this petite country girl would take him down without a backward glance. "Deal"

"I thought you might say that."

---------------

"You wanna beer?"

"Sure, why not, Yankees game starts in a few minutes."

Danny and Jason had been watching the game for only a few minutes before Jason excused himself to go make a phone call. When he returned he had a very suspicious grin on his face.

"What was that about?"

"Oh just a phone call to my dear brother" was the only response Danny got. "I had to let him know how you were doing Danny. Oh, and I might have mentioned something about Lindsay." He looked over at Danny's face and burst out laughing. "Come on man! You expect me to keep something like that a secret?"

Danny just shook his head, staring at Jason. _Damn. Now the whole lab is going to know unless Lindsay does some serious damage control with Flack. I only hope he hasn't managed to tip off the whole rumor mill at the lab._

Jason just looked at Danny. He was such an easy guy to provoke. "Alright man, if you want my opinion, you couldn't have picked a better girl. Lindsay's great."

Danny could see Jason's attempt at sincerity and decided to let his comment slide. Nothing he could do about it now. "Whatever. You just better hope that I never get wind of you doing something like this. Believe me. If I ever hear of something that'll be embarrassing for you, you're gonna wish you had moved to Texas for that job offer you had a few years ago.

Jason looked at the expression on Danny's face and decided that he was telling the truth. _Note to self: never, ever do anything embarrassing in front of Danny Messer!_

---------------

_The man tensed as he heard noises outside the door. Were they coming in? _"What are we looking for again?" _asked a man's voice. _

"Any home-made DVD's especially one that's partially broken. We need to find the rest of the DVD that goes to the piece we found in the vic's hand."

"Right."

_Damn. They were coming in, and he hadn't found what he was looking for yet. He knew there was a side room just to the right of the bathroom door. He would have to chance it. He didn't have time to find a solid hiding place. He ducked inside the small closet. It held an assortment of cleaning products, brooms, and a vacuum. He reached behind his waist, and pulled his gun out. He checked the clip. Good, it was full. Fifteen shots, but that was all he got. Hopefully he wouldn't have to use them. As long as they didn't find it either, there would be nothing done to the two cops - as long as they didn't find the DVD. Who was he kidding? Of course they were going to find it. They were cops. He flicked the safety off on his gun, and got ready to move. _

---------------

Lindsay looked up when she heard Flack calling her name. He was in the next room and she headed over there to see what he had found.

"How's this? The guy is a movie buff." Flack pointed to the wall and Lindsay realized with an inward groan that Figlioni had an entire wall shelf, stacked with DVD's.

"Any one of those DVD's could be important. We are going to have to take a look through them, see if there are any home-made copies. We also need to look around the rest of the house, see if there are any DVD's hidden in an unsuspecting drawer somewhere. Where do you want to start?"

"I'll take the other rooms. I think I'll go crazy looking through that many DVD cases. I'll join you in here when I'm done looking around. If I see anything suspicious I'll let you know."

"Sounds good. Just remember to put on gloves!" Lindsay called after him as he stalked off into the next room.

Lindsay had been looking through DVD cases for ten minutes when she opened up a copy of _The Godfather_. There was no _Godfather_ DVD inside it. Instead, there was an unmarked DVD, with a little chip out of the side of it, and what looked suspiciously like blood. She took the case, closed it up, and bagged it. "Hey Flack, I think I've found what we're looking for" Lindsay called. She heard movement behind her, but assuming it was Flack, didn't turn around.

"Don't move, don't scream, hand me that DVD, and you'll escape unharmed."

Lindsay froze. She felt the gun barrel being pushed into her back, and could feel hot breath on the back of her neck as a man spoke.

"Now, unholster your gun, slowly, and put it on the floor."

Lindsay did as he said, hoping that Flack would make it over and help her out of this sticky situation. Just then, the man snatched the DVD out of her grasp and took off toward the window.

Lindsay bent over and grabbed her firearm; she took the safety off, and set up to fire. She could hear Flack running through the hallway beside her. She leveled her gun to the suspect, but saw, as if in slow-motion, that the suspect had beat her to it. He was pointing his gun out her, and his finger was pulling back, it was too far gone. He fired once; twice; three times, and Lindsay felt a burning heat in her shoulder, and another in her stomach. She keeled over, dropping her gun that she hadn't managed to fire. The only thing that she could see was the man's eyes – eyes that were full of malice, staring right into hers as he had pulled the trigger. She could feel herself losing consciousness, blackness eating away at the corners of her eyes. She thought of what Danny would say. Then she closed her eyes and slipped into unconsciousness.

---------------

Flack heard voices in the room next to him. _I thought no one else was supposed to be in here?_ _Oh crap!_ It hit Flack. The suspect had come back. He had come back, looking for whatever Lindsay had just said she had found. He broke into a run, pulling out his firearm. He rounded the corner in time to see the suspect pulling the trigger and firing three times on Lindsay. His gun was up and firing before he even knew what happened. As the suspect jumped down the fire escape, Flack ran over to Lindsay. She muttered one word – Danny. Then her eyes closed. Flack quickly called paramedics. "_We have an officer down at 1621 5__th__ Street! I repeat – officer down, and shots fired. Suspect escaped down the fire escape. I need paramedics. Now!_"

Flack was stunned. This wasn't supposed to happen. This wasn't right. He tried to keep pressure on Lindsay's wounds. She had been hit twice out of the three shots; once in the left shoulder, and another in the stomach. If the paramedics didn't arrive soon, she would bleed to death. Flack held his breath as he did what he could for his friend. Flack whispered a quiet message to the silent Detective lying in front of him. _Hold on Lindsay – hold on._


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** The usual. Nothing you recognize is mine.

**Spoilers:** If there are any, then they went right over my head.

**A/N:** Couldn't keep you waiting too long, so here is the next chapter. Again this is un-beta'd. Let me know if that bugs you. If it doesn't bother you, then it doesn't bother me.

This garden universe vibrates complete.  
Some we get a sound so sweet.  
Vibrations reach on up to become light,  
And then thru gamma, out of sight.  
Between the eyes and ears there lay,  
The sounds of colour and the light of a sigh.  
And to hear the sun, what a thing to believe.  
But it's all around if we could but perceive.  
To know ultra-violet, infra-red and X-rays,  
Beauty to find in so many ways.  
Two notes of the chord, that's our fluoroscope.  
But to reach the chord is our life's hope.

Flack quickly grabbed his radio, calling in the shots fired and a suspect description. There was only one way to run after he got off that fire escape, so Flack told the dispatch everything he knew. He barely heard the response. _"We have two units in the area. They will be there shortly. ETA two minutes out. Will canvass the area for suspect."_

Flack didn't care. He looked at Lindsay, and held his breath. She had two gunshot wounds. The one in her stomach was not bad at all. It looked like it clipped her more than anything. The one in her left shoulder was a different story. It was low. _Low enough to have endangered her heart?_ Flack wondered. He ripped off the sleeve of his shirt and tied it tightly around her shoulder, pressing down to try and stop the bleeding. He was no paramedic. Lindsay needed help fast.

He couldn't help but think the worst. There was so much blood – it was like he had stepped into one of those vicious crime scenes he had nightmares about. Blood spatter on the wall and a blood pool lying around the victim. He shook his head, trying not to imagine Lindsay on a morgue table.

---------------

Stella was letting Mac know how the case was progressing when Mac's phone rang, interrupting her in mid-sentence. Stella stared at the phone. She felt frustrated by it. Then she realized that she wasn't frustrated by the interruption, but by the case. If Lindsay hadn't found what they were looking for back at the crime scene, then there would be no hope. All other leads had gone cold. She sighed, as Mac leaned over to pick up the ringing phone.

"Hello Danny. No she's not here. She went back to the crime scene to take a look for some possible evidence. Okay. I'll tell her you called. Say hi to Jason for me. Okay. Bye."

Mac hung up the phone and looked at Stella.

Stella took in a breath, ready to finish her report, but was interrupted yet again by the phone ringing. She just stared at it. It must be doing this on purpose. It must be doing this to torture her. She was already having a bad day with this case, and now the phone felt obligated to irk her. She rolled her eyes as Mac gave her an apologetic look.

Mac paled. Stella saw his facial features change from slightly amused to horrified. Whatever this phone call was, it was bad news. She felt her own stomach twist in knots. She didn't want to hear this news. It was going to make her day even worse. She could feel it.

---------------

Jason looked over at Danny. He had passed out on the couch, beer in hand, not long before. He got up, removed the bottle from Danny's grasp and went over to the kitchen. He set about making a dinner that the two of them would be able to eat without fighting over. One look in the fridge changed his mind though. Danny had very little in there, except for beer, some condiments, a carton of expired milk, and some rather wilted looking vegetables. He grabbed the take-out menus that were attached to the fridge door via magnets and flipped through them. With such crazy hours you got as a CSI, Danny obviously didn't eat at home a lot. One good thing about working shifts like that in New York City was the 24hour take out. There was always somewhere you could get to deliver, and working the night shift, Jason knew that better than anyone, so he couldn't really fault Danny for doing the same thing.

Jason finally found a Chinese flyer at the back with free delivery. Deciding that it would be a good night for Chinese, Jason reached for the phone to place the order. Before his hand even reached the phone though, it rang, nearly causing him to fall off the bar stool he was sitting on. He looked over at Danny. Other than a slight twitch, Danny had made no recognition that he heard the phone ring.

"Messer residence" Jason answered, trying to be polite, a rare thing in New York telephone conversations.

"Jason. It's Don."

"Hey Donny! How's it going?"

Jason waited for an answer, and clued in. His brother did not sound right. There was a hitch in his voice and he sounded strained. "What happened Don?"

"You need to grab Danny, and bring him to the hospital as soon as you can. Lindsay..."

Don trailed off and Jason knew that something bad must have happened. His brother was one of the toughest people he knew. After he had been blown up, it had taken him almost no time to be back on his feet, and half the time in rehab that the doctors had told him. If his brother was breaking down, then there was no question that Lindsay's life was hanging in the balance. Jason decided not to ask any questions. "We'll be there in fifteen minutes." He replied and hung up the phone.

---------------

"I don't need to go to the hospital, there's nothing wrong with me. I fell asleep, that's all."

Jason didn't have the heart to tell Danny that they were going to the hospital to see Lindsay, not for him; so he just nodded his head and pretended he was ignoring Danny.

The two men walked up to the reception counter at the hospital and Jason said quietly. "We're here to see Lindsay Monroe. Could you tell us what room she's in?"

The receptionist looked it up and responded, "She's in surgery at the moment, but everyone else is in the waiting room. You can meet them there if you'd like." Jason nodded, his throat too tight to try and make any more sound, as he walked off in that direction, leaving a stunned Danny following him like a lost puppy dog.

"What do you mean we're going to see Lindsay? Why is she in the hospital? What happened? Is she okay? When did this happen, I called Mac less than an hour ago and she was fine! What the hell is going on?" Danny burst out the last sentence as he entered the waiting room to see Mac, Stella, Sheldon and Flack sitting in the provided chairs, looking solemn.

Stella stood up and walked over to Danny, took him by the hand and sat him down. "Danny, Lindsay was shot today while at the crime scene. The suspect had returned, and stole the evidence she collected."

Danny just stared at her in disbelief. "No." He finally said. "No, that isn't right. She can't be..." He looked at Stella, and her heart broke, seeing his eyes. They looked empty. He was broken to pieces hearing the news of Lindsay. She pulled him into a hug, and felt his limp body droop. She felt tears form in her own eyes, as Danny sat back in his chair. Nobody said a word as they just stared at the door to the operating room. The door the doctor would walk out of when the surgery was over. Everyone in the room was thinking the same thing, but nobody said it. No one made eye contact either. It was an unspoken rule. They had to hope.

Danny looked at his hands, anything to distract himself from reality. _Lindsay will make it through this. She has to. I can't live without her. _

---------------

Dr. Boldt stepped out of the operating room and sighed. What was that Frank Sinatra quote again? _Luck be a lady._ Well, there was no doubt in Dr. Boldt's mind that the lady he had just finished operating on was made of luck. The girl was getting a chance at another day. He picked up the plastic container next to him, and looked at the bullet inside it. This police officer had been shot twice; one perforated her die, leaving no serious damage, the other though – wow. He had seen a lot of serious injuries, having been a surgeon for nearly thirty years. In his entire career he had never seen someone have a serious injury so close to the heart, in the left shoulder, and come out of it with no major arteries hit. Thankfully the bullet had been small. It had gone straight in, and lodged itself behind her collarbone. It had been a little difficult to remove, but it hadn't fragmented upon impact, and had not so much as nicked an artery. Dr. Boldt shook his head in disbelief. This girl was the luckiest girl he had ever had the pleasure of operating on.

But now it was time to give this bullet, the officer's badge, and her clothes to the NYPD sitting in the waiting room.

---------------

Every person sitting in the waiting room heard the swinging of the operating room door and jerked their heads to stare at who was walking out of it. Jason knew what the outcome was, even if nobody else did. He _was_ an EMT after all, and knew proper operating procedure. The doctor was holding the evidence needed by the police – the clothes, her badge, but most importantly, the bullet.

Jason nearly laughed out loud as relief washed through him. She was alive, and probably doing better than expected if the surgeon himself was coming out with the evidence. Jason knew from experience. Nobody minded giving good news. Everybody hated giving bad news. This surgeon was walking with a look on his face that clearly said he was relieved. Jason felt his whole body relax. She was okay.

"Doc, is she okay?" Danny jumped up from his seat and ran over to stand tight in front of the doctor.

"Give him some room Danny, he's been in surgery for the past few hours, give him a moment to walk in the room." Jason said.

Danny realized what he was doing, standing inches away from the doctor's face. He backed off, looking a little sheepish. "Sorry," he muttered. "But you're killing me. What happened? Is she going to be okay?"

"We successfully removed the bullet, stitched up both the wound in her shoulder, and the one in her abdomen. She was extremely lucky. No serious organs or arteries were hit. We expect her to make a full recovery." Dr. Boldt smiled as he looked throughout the room. All the occupants breathed sighs of relief, as they realized the news. Stella even had tears in her eyes and a smile on her face.

It was Mac who spoke next. "When will she wake up?"

Dr. Boldt faltered. "We expect her to wake up as soon as the sedatives wear off. There are chances of it taking longer, but they are unlikely. It should be no more than a few hours."

"Can I see her?" It was Danny who spoke this time.

"Yes you can. But I must request that there be no more than two in the room at a time."

Danny didn't answer, just walked off in the direction of Lindsay's room.

Mac smiled and relieved the doctor of his armful of evidence. "Thank you for preserving this for us, Doctor. It is greatly appreciated. Thanks for all you've done."

"It was my pleasure. We'll take good care of her while she's here." With a nod, Dr. Boldt walked off, leaving the rest of them to calm their nerves, and head over to Lindsay's room.

---------------

Stella was the next person to walk into Lindsay's room. She nearly burst into tears again, seeing Lindsay lying there, with Danny by her side. He had pulled a chair over, and was leaning over onto the bed, head down, slumped over. He was tightly grasping her hand in both of his, eyes closed. Stella stepped over to him and put her hand on his shoulder. She wasn't surprised to see tears in his eyes when he looked up at her.

"She's okay Danny. She'll be fine." Stella said, trying to comfort him as much as she could.

"I know. But I can't help imagining what could have happened. It was so close, Stella, so close to hitting a major organ, or..." He stopped he couldn't say what he was thinking. "I almost lost her Stella. I don't know what I would do if that happened. I love her."

Stella's eyes widened with surprise. Danny Messer? Danny Messer – the notorious player, stating openly that he loved Lindsay. No doubt this girl had changed him, and definitely in a good way. Stella put a hand on his arm and whispered, "I think she loves you too."

Danny's eyes filled with tears one more time as he silently cried into Lindsay's side.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **Not mine. They're CBS and Jerry Bruckheimer. I also started to run out of Moody Blues lyrics so these ones are from Bruce Hornsby.

**Spoilers:** I hope you know the drill. But I think I'm moving farther and farther away from the possibility of actually having any spoilers. I'm off in my own little world.

They say hey little boy you can't go  
Where the others go  
'Cause you don't look like they do  
Said hey old man how can you stand  
To think that way  
Did you really think about it  
Before you made the rules  
He said, Son

That's just the way it is  
Some things will never change  
That's just the way it is  
But don't you believe them

Bang! _Danny heard the shots and looked over to where Lindsay stood. He heard the sound of the gunfire as though in slow-motion. He saw Lindsay's eyes, wide with surprise. He watched as the first bullet hit her, blood blossoming forth like a soda can that had been shaken and then opened. He looked at her and silently watched her go down. She whispered one word – Danny. _

_He heard a deep-throated laugh, sounding more like a bark. He looked over to the window and saw the shooter. He looked into the face of the man, and saw Sonny Sassone staring back at him. If Lindsay was dead then he didn't care what happened to him. He had already lost his brother. He looked back at the shooter, who was no longer Sonny. It was his own father, staring back at him, holding the gun pointed at Danny's chest. _

"_You never done right by me. You betrayed the family. You don't deserve to live." Joey Messer pulled the trigger and Danny felt a pain in his chest, utterly unreal. His own father shooting him? Danny fell down to the ground next to Lindsay, and closed his eyes. That was it. He was going to die here. He looked up one last time to see a figure standing over him, looking at him. _

"_Boom." Said his father, as he pulled the trigger once again. _

---------------

Danny woke with a start. He was soaked in a cold sweat, Lindsay's bed sheets stuck to his cheek. He peeled his face away and sat up. His glasses were askew, so he took them off for a moment and kneaded his watery eyes.

Danny looked at Lindsay. Then he looked at his watch. This wasn't right. She should be awake by now. He flagged down a nurse that was walking by.

"Do you know why she isn't awake?" He demanded. "She should be awake. Dr. Boldt said she would wake up as soon as the anesthetic wore off. She should be awake!" Danny was getting more and more frustrated with the inability of the nurse to answer his questions.

"I'll go get Dr. Boldt for you." Replied the nurse quietly. She just wanted to get out of the room. She had seen that cop in a hospital bed of his own recently, and she didn't want to get him angry. After all, he did have a gun.

Danny immediately felt sorry that he had been so angry at the nurse. It wasn't her fault, she didn't know. Danny sighed and grabbed Lindsay's hand in his own. Lord knew he was going to feel so much better when Lindsay was awake and in his arms once more.

---------------

Jason Flack was worried. He was normally not a guy who got worried or stressed easily. It was a trait that made him such a good paramedic. He could stay calm in almost any situation, thereby finding the best course of action. But this was not another nameless person he was trying to save. This was Danny Messer. One of his best friends, a guy who had been like a brother to him, practically lived out of the same house as him for years while he had gone to high school with Don. Jason knew that Danny did not have an easy childhood. Growing up in a neighborhood where there were drug addicts on every corner was not good. But it was even worse when the FBI routinely had men sit outside your house, watching your every move. But even that can be dealt with of you are innocent and have nothing to hide. It's a different story when you are hiding something though. And Danny knew all about hiding.

Danny's household was rough. He went to a little run down elementary school, quickly making ties with the kids of crime bosses. His older brother Louie was never much help. Every kid who lived in that area of town wanted out. Very few actually made it out though. Danny had his chance through baseball. But the lure of the gangs was strong. Louie was sucked in by the time he was sixteen. Danny was never quite like his older brother though, no matter how much he tried to be.

While Louie was never in the household, Danny stayed home to take care of his mother. An abusive letch was all he had for a father. His mother gave him a gift when he turned fifteen though – a chance to go to a good school. Danny sat up straight and combed his hair when he found out he has a chance to go to a good private school. Who would have thought a Messer would ever go to a place like this?

Jason remembered his first meeting with Danny Messer. He was thirteen, and his big brother Don had brought his friend Danny over for dinner. Danny sat there, real nervous looking. His father, Don Flack Sr. looked none to happy about the friendship either. Then Jason heard the argument later between Don and their father.

"His father is in organized crime for God's sake Don! Stay away from him! He should not be in the same school as you. You are a cop's son. You come from a well-respected family, and I do not want you getting mixed up with a boy like him!"

"He's not like his brother or his father Dad! He just wants a chance! And I'm not going to ignore him just because he might harm your reputation!"

It wasn't long after that conversation that Danny became almost a permanent fixture in the Flack home, using them as a way to escape the realities of his own life at home. Were you to ask Danny what his address was, he may have given you the Flacks'. That was home. And the Flacks' took him in as though he was their third son. Whether it was from pity, or remorse, sadness, or just plain tolerance, Jason never knew. But he knew that Danny was as much a brother to him as Don was. And now, years later, Danny was still trying to run from his past. He now held a respectable job, was a law-enforcement officer, a keeper of the peace. He helped solve crimes that people like his father committed. But it wasn't enough to keep him from his past, and Jason watched Danny helplessly. He watched Danny fighting off the demons that had haunted him for so long. And there was nothing he could do about it.

---------------

"Hey, Flack!" Stella ran after him, trying to catch him before he got in the elevator.

"Oh. Hey Stella."

"Are you okay?"

"Honestly, I don't know. Mac just took my statement, and I just... I don't know."

He looked into her eyes, and Stella felt his pain. It was every cop's worst nightmare to see one of your own, especially a friend, go down in the line of duty. It was even worse than that when you feel you may have been able to do something. She put a comforting hand on his shoulder as they walked into the elevator.

"I just... I keep trying to remember if there was something else I could have done. I wish I could have done something."

Stella pulled him into a hug, trying to make him relax a little. "Lindsay's going to make a full recovery Don, it'll be fine."

Flack felt the warmth of Stella's body next to him and held her tightly. When she finally pulled back, she was looking at him with those bright green eyes, and he leaned forward. She closed her eyes as their lips met. Whether they remained like that for a moment or a life time was a mystery to Stella, but she was amazed at how soft and tender the kiss had been. The elevator bell dinged and the doors opened. They broke apart, as Stella left.

"I guess I'll uh..." she didn't know what to say. "I guess I'll see you later."

"Yeah. Thanks Stel."

----------------

"Detective Messer?"

"Ah! Dr. Boldt! You told me that she'd be awake. Why isn't she? What's wrong?" Danny blurted this out very quickly and wondered whether the doctor had even heard what he said. But apparently Dr. Boldt was faster than he looked, because he responded easily to Danny's rushed questions.

"The anesthetic has worn off, but after such a major surgery, it isn't surprising that she is still asleep. Her body needs to sleep to catch up, figure out what is going on. She'll wake up soon, but you need to give her time."

Danny stood staring at the doctor with his mouth hanging open. "Sorry about ambushing you like that Doc. I guess I'm just stressed, and worried, and my temper's on a short string these days."

"Don't worry about it Detective."

"Please call me Danny. Detective makes it sound like I'm on duty."

"Sure. Now listen Danny, when Lindsay wakes up, she is sure to be disoriented, and may be extremely confused about the incident. Be patient with her, and let her remember things in her own time. Don't force it upon her."

Danny nodded, and they said their farewells. Danny walked back into Lindsay's room and sat in the chair beside her bed that had become his home for the time being. He gently held her hand and whispered to her. "Doc says you're going to be okay. You were lucky. You just need your sleep. Don't worry. I'll be here when you wake up. I promise. I love you."

---------------

Mac sat at his desk. His ever-present headache was getting worse instead of going away. So much for taking that Ibuprofen. A lot of good it did. He looked down at the report on his desk, every now and then a name would jump out at him and he would read a little further. Flack's statement was concise, to the point, and very descriptive. Mac shuddered as he read about the shooting, finally understanding exactly what had happened. He was also disgusted. Somehow, the suspect had made it back to the crime scene and into the room. It should have been cordoned off so that nobody would be able to get in. And then he realized his mistake. If the fire escape was how he got out, it was probably how he got in...

---------------

Flack walked through the hallways of the hospital, trying to find Lindsay's room. He found Danny sitting next to her; sound asleep when he walked in. Flack sat down next to Danny and kneaded his watering eyes. His body was screaming for sleep, it had been an exhausting day. He drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

Flack was woken minutes later to hear a mumbling voice in Italian. He looked next to him to find Danny, thrashing and flinching next to him.

"Fermare per colpire lei! Non dolerla!"

Flack woke up the thrashing Danny, and saw a young boy looking back at him from behind the glasses. Then he was gone and Danny Messer was back.

Flack knew what Danny had been dreaming about. There was no need to ask. He just patted him on the back.

"You need me to grab you some food?" Flack asked, trying to deflect the attention away from Danny's nightmare.

"Thanks. That would be great. I haven't eaten in hours. And Flack, thanks for..."

Flack cut him off. "Don't worry about it. Pepperoni pizza with extra cheese coming up."

Danny watched Flack leave and felt grateful to him. Flack knew how bad Danny had it as a kid, and never pushed him when he had these recurring nightmares. Flack was a best friend and a brother to Danny. All the Flacks were.

Danny squeezed Lindsay's hand once more and whispered "I love you," again.

His head shot up and his whole body tensed. He looked down. Lindsay had moved her hand, and was now holding tightly on to his.

---------------

Mac was just packing up from his little excursion to the crime scene when he saw it. Dropped into the crack between building and metal was a DVD. It was wedged there and it took several minutes for Mac to get it out, but he finally did it. This was it. This was the piece of evidence that the shooter was willing to kill for, and he, Mac had it. This could be the case-breaker. He put it in an evidence bag and started to leave when his phone rang. The caller ID said Stella was calling him. He pressed talk.

"Taylor."

"Mac! Patrol just called, they have a suspect in custody matching the description given by Flack of the shooter! They've got him, Mac, they've got him! He's got a bullet wound in his leg; Flack must have hit him when he was at the scene. This is it Mac!"

Mac heard the words and ran out of the building at a speed that would shame an Olympic runner. He wanted to be the first one to take a look at the man who had shot one of his CSI's.

**A/N:** There is no real need to know what is being said in Italian. It was just something I did on the spur of the moment. If you feel the need to translate, go ahead. I also apologize to anyone who actually speaks Italian because I am sure that those free translation sites are not entirely accurate.

So please review, hit the blue button, as all writers know, reviews are what keep us going. Or is that just me?


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **Not mine, blah, blah, blah. You know the drill.

**Spoilers:** I'm seriously convinced there are none, so I'm going to stop putting this header here. If you find one, I'm sorry.

**A/N:** well, I said this would be posted by Monday, and since I am posting this now at 11:49 PM, I have managed that, keeping my promise by 11 minutes. So there may be a few mistakes, it is late after all, if they don't bother you, then they don't bother me. (Seriously though, if they bother you, let me know, and I'll try and find a beta. As of right now, I'm too lazy)

Dawn is a feeling  
A beautiful ceiling  
The smell of grass  
Just makes you pass  
Into a dream

You're here today  
No future fears  
This day will last  
A thousand years  
If you want it to

Mac ran as fast as he could, tapping his foot for the elevator that was surely moving slower today. Forget it. He'd take the stairs. He was halfway to the staircase when the elevator bell dinged. _Damn!_ Mac turned and ran back to the elevator, barely squeezing back in through the closing doors. He stared at the little light indicating what floor he was on, willing it to move faster. When he reached his floor he was out of the doors before they had opened all the way. There was no way he was missing this interrogation.

---------------

Detective Angell wasn't used to cases like this. Not when one of your own was involved. Unfortunately that was why she was chosen to conduct this interrogation. She hadn't had any contact with any of the police officers involved, and she knew very little about the case itself. Just then, she saw Mac sprinting through the hallway up to her. He gave her a curt nod and stepped into the observation room. Angell sighed and stepped into the interrogation room to question the man responsible for the shooting of Lindsay Monroe.

---------------

Danny was still sitting in the chair next to Lindsay's hospital bed. He had been there for hours. He still hadn't let go of her hand. Only problem was, she had. After a brief moment when Danny was sure she was going to wake up, she had let go, her hand going limp. Danny was worried. Dr. Boldt kept telling him it would happen, she would wake up, it was going to happen. Danny was becoming less and less sure and more and more worried with each passing minute. Flack had come and gone, Jason had come and gone, Stella and Mac had both stopped by. Even Detective Angell had stopped by to let him know how the interrogation of the suspect had gone.

This was the only bright part of Danny's day. The suspect was named Eddie Valenti, and was a no name guy in the lower dregs of the Tanglewood Boys. This was obviously supposed to be a simple reconnaissance, or they wouldn't have sent a rookie. Only thing was, Valenti hadn't coughed up the name of the guy who sent him on the pick-up. Danny wasn't too worried about that. If needed, he could crack the guy. And he was going to crack him whether he coughed up the name or not. But maybe a little less if he gave up the name. After all, he did shoot Lindsay. Danny's free hand curled into a fist as he thought about it.

He sat back in his chair, looked at the sleeping Lindsay, and closed his eyes, trying to get some rest, but with his hand still clenched tightly around hers.

----------------

Flack sat at home, staring at his TV. It wasn't turned on; he was just staring at a blank screen. He had the phone call earlier, saying that the guy, Valenti or whatever his name was coughed up and confessed. He still hadn't rolled on the high level guys, but he had confessed to Lindsay's shooting. He was going away for a while because of that.

Flack sighed. This had been a long week. He was relieved partially though. Things were starting to look up. They got the shooter, Lindsay was expected to make a full recovery, and he had been cleared of the shooting. He even had a week off. So it was mandatory, whatever. He had a week to spend with the people who mattered. He could be there for Lindsay and Danny, and maybe spend a little time with Stella. He thought back to the elevator ride. When he closed his eyes he could still feel her lips on his, melting into him.

He quickly opened his eyes. Perhaps a cold shower was in order.

---------------

The man heard a phone ringing. He answered it and was disgusted with the voice he heard answer him. "I told you not to call me. What the fuck do you want?" The answer was good enough to warrant the call, lucky for this scumbag. Valenti had been caught. How do you fuck that job up? thought the man. Too late to worry about that now though. He had better not roll on anyone though, or the rat would wish he had died as a child. The man hung up the phone. Things were starting to head south. He hit speed dial number two on his phone and another man picked up.

"What do you want old man?"

"The same thing you want. We got into this together; we need to leave it together. I assume you heard about Valenti? He was your pick, and I sure as hell hope you didn't mess up on that one. If he rolls on me, both of you are going to wish you died years ago. Do you get my drift?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Now we need to meet and figure out what to do."

"Fine. The usual place?"

"Fine. 7:00 tonight. Don't be late."

Both men hung up. More would be talked about later. The second of the two men looked at his phone in disgust, as though it was the cause of all his problems. But that wasn't right. The cause of all his problems was that no good, son of a bitch Danny Messer. And he would be dealt with all right. He would be dealt with just like his brother was. They had given him a pass years ago because he had no contact with Tanglewood. Now he was screwing with them more than he was allowed to do. This was it for Danny Messer. Him and that girlfriend of his. She had come close to dying, but Valenti hadn't even managed to do that right. If she stayed near Danny, she was bait. And Tanglewood had no problem bringing the two of them down.

---------------

"You no-good son of a bitch! You get out of this house now! And stay out! If I ever see you near this place again, I won't bother with polite chatter, you're going to see the back of my fist before anything else! Now get!"

Danny cried as he bolted from his father. He could hear his mother object, and a brutal slapping noise. Louie just stood there at the doorway, watching Danny run off. Danny headed to the Flacks' and spent the night there. The next day he packed up and moved there permanently. At least until he could get out of the house for college. He had had it with his father. He was never going back, never. He just hoped his mother would be okay. He remembered something she had always told him. _Le persone prendono che meritano. Se lei è buono, lei prenderà una vita buona. Lei sarà ricompensato. Sarò giusto. Lei non deve mai ricordare. Quando lei esce, sta fuori, e fa ciò che è migliore per lei. _

Danny woke up and stared ahead. God these memories were keeping him from sleeping. He was becoming a hollow shell. He looked over at Lindsay. He was still holding her hand and it took him a moment to realize it. A smile broke out over his face and he felt truly happy for the first time in days.

---------------

Lindsay felt her head pound. Her shoulder hurt, her stomach hurt. _Well, I guess that means I'm alive. Pain is good right?_ Her body immediately counteracted that thought as a painful twinge surged through her body. _Okay Linds, first thing to do, open your eyes. Come on, you can do it._ No she really couldn't. Oh well. She felt her hand touching something though, and realized that Danny was holding her hand. She could smell his scent, that familiar scent. He must have been by hr bedside for a while. She gently squeezed his hand. He didn't do anything. He was probably asleep. Finally, with a great effort, she opened her eyes. Danny was indeed asleep, but not a very good one.

Lindsay was frightened to see Danny like this. He was mumbling in Italian, and while she didn't mind this in the least, it was the way he was saying it that troubled her. He was obviously having a troubling dream, and Lindsay couldn't fault him for that. It had been a very difficult few days, and now she had been shot. She wondered how much he had been going through. She squeezed his hand once more, still barely able to move.

She was surprised to see him jerk awake. He stared blankly ahead for a moment. Then he looked down at their hands, grasping each other. Then he looked into her eyes. She saw a very tired man, one who was stressed so much that he looked older than he should. Empty eyes stared back at her. Then something clicked on. His face broke into a smile as he looked at her, truly happy to see her awake. He leaned forward gently and embraced her. She was so glad to be able to have him hold her like hat. She loved him, but didn't know whether or not to say it.

She tried to say the words, but her mouth wasn't ready to speak. A jumbled mess was all that came out. She tried again and managed "Danny", but got no farther. She just looked at him. But that was enough. He seemed to understand. He lifted her hand up to his mouth and kissed the back of it.

"Lindsay, I've missed you. I'm glad you're back. I love you." Danny said it without thinking, but immediately froze. He hadn't even realized he had said it. Was it too fast? What was she going to think?" He looked at her and he realized he had no need to worry.

"I love you too." Lindsay managed to choke out. She saw tears in his eyes, but knew that they were tears of happiness this time. This was where she belonged.

It was a new day, and she belonged here, in his arms. She didn't want to let him go.

---------------

_Hey it's Danny Messer, I'm not here to take your call, leave a message, and I'll try to get back to you._

The man listened to the answering machine. When he heard the beep, he said a simple message. _Danny, it's your father. We need to talk._


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** Not mine and all that other stuff. I wish they were.

**A/N:** I apologize if there was any confusion, I accidentally posted the draft online, and this one is just a little bit different. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks to all of you who are reading and reviewing, and all of you who are just reading. I hope this chapter lives up to expectations. (Assuming there are some)

The sounds in my mind just come to me  
Come see, come see  
And the call of her eyes makes waterfalls  
Of me, of me

In the garden of her love I'll stay awhile  
To be, to be  
What the seeds of her thoughts once mean to me  
Come see, come see

Visions of paradise, cloudless skies I see  
Rainbows on the hill, blue onyx on the sea  
Come see, ah, ah, ah

And the sounds in my mind just come to me  
Come see, come see  
And the call of her eyes, makes waterfalls  
Of me, of me

Stella walked down to the parkade at the lab and went to her car. That was until she remembered she had hitched a ride into work that day. Her car wasn't here, and she didn't have money for the subway. _Damn. Now what are you going to do?_ Thought Stella. Just then her phone rang.

"Bonasera."

"Hey Stel, it's Flack. I just got a call from Danny. Lindsay's awake."

Stella blew out some air as she felt relief rush through her. "Thank God." She said.

Flack just answered with a chuckle. "I'm headed there now, do you want a lift?"

"Thanks that would be great. I've got a bit of car trouble right now as it is."

"What kind of car trouble?"

"I don't have a car."

Flack laughed, finding that simple comment much funnier than he normally would have. Today, there was nothing that wasn't making him feel good. Things were starting to look on the up. And, now there was the prospect of getting to see Stella. "I'll come pick you up. Be there in ten minutes." He said, still laughing.

Stella hung up, a smile on her face. Lindsay was awake, and she was facing a ride to the hospital, alone with Don Flack. This day couldn't get much better.

---------------

Sonny Sassone stood outside an abandoned construction site, smoking a cigarette. There would be nobody here that shouldn't be. He had already made sure of that. He looked up and saw a solitary figure walking toward him. This meeting was one of great importance.

"Sassone."

"Messer."

"All right. Tell me what they've got against us."

"As of right this moment? Nothing. The only way they'll have something is if they decode the DVD. That's the only thing we need to worry about. Figlioni knew it. That's why he hid it. The bastard turned on us, he knew he was gonna have to face the consequences. He hid that DVD to make it hard for us to find it. Now we got to get it back."

"And what happens if we don't get it back?"

"Then we may all go down for murder one."

Joey Messer stared at the younger man. This was not good news. That DVD had the record for all the hits the Tanglewood Boys had ever done. If the cops decoded that DVD, then they could nail them for every murder Tanglewood had ever been responsible for. Normally, Joey wouldn't worry about that. The cops had nothing to tie him directly to the Tanglewood other than his son Louie, now deceased. That wasn't good enough. Until this DVD.

Joey was a big backer of the Tanglewood Boys. He had his own ties in organized crime, and was very pleased when his son Louie found two guys, Sal, and Sonny that would help start a respectable gang. Joey would fund them if they did some jobs for him. It was all going great; Louie even tried to get Danny involved. But that had been a fiasco.

Joey got angry at the thought. Danny was a coward. He was never strong enough to be involved in organized crime. So what did the scum do? He made best friends with a cop's family. Joey tried to beat it into Danny early that crime was the only thing the Messers were good at, but to no avail. Danny enrolled in the police academy. Go figure. But Joey let him go. He couldn't bring himself to kill a son, no matter how much of a traitor he may have been. But hen he got the surprise of his life years later.

Danny had been implicated in a 15-year old murder, one that could easily have put the Messer behind bars. But then, Louie Messer betrayed the gang that was his real family, to save his no-good, cop brother. He got Sassone put behind bars and Danny off scot-free. This was the worst thing he could have done. So Joey had no problem when Tanglewood decided to "deal" with Louie. He had lost the father-son love when he did that. Joey had had to call in way too many favours to get Sassone out of jail.

Now, Danny was no better. He had screwed with Tanglewood one too many times. He was also the only police officer in the city who could decode that DVD without trouble.

Sonny stared at the older man. This was causing him pain. It was hard for him to agree to put a hit out on his son. He would have to be persuaded then. "Joey, we've got no choice. He stays alive, we all get the needle. There are too many murder records on that DVD to mess around with here. It's him, or us." Sonny stared at the Messer standing before him. He was pleased when he saw the man give a curt nod.

"Fine." But make sure we get that DVD back somehow. I don't want to have killed him for nothing." With that, Joey Messer turned his back on Sonny Sassone and left the construction site.

Sonny looked after him for a few moments. He would take care of this. He was looking forward to it.

---------------

Danny couldn't wipe the grin off his face. This day was amazing – Valenti had confessed and Lindsay had woken up. The day was almost at a close and Danny couldn't remember a better one in the recent past. He stared dreamily at Lindsay as she ate her hospital food, consisting of JELLO, bread, and chocolate pudding. Not exactly the healthiest meal.

Lindsay glanced over at Danny and felt her stomach flutter. The look he was giving her made her feel odd. But in a good way. She couldn't describe the feeling and knew that was because she had never felt it before. This was the first time she had ever been in love. And she knew Danny felt the same way, those being the first words he said to her when she woke up. And he still hadn't let go of her hand, forcing her to eat clumsily with only one.

The doctor had been in and told her she was doing amazingly well. It had taken her a little while to remember exactly what had happened, but it had come back – suddenly and vividly. The shooter's eyes remained a strong image in her mind-s eye. But all it took was one look at Danny's bright blue eyes for her to realize that she was safe. Her stomach fluttered once again as he sent a goofy grin in her direction. Forget the food.

Lindsay pushed the food tray away from her and pulled Danny on the bed beside her. She leaned over and kissed him, just barely touching her lips to his. It didn't take long for the kiss to become a full-out, breath-taking action.

"OW!" Lindsay squeaked as she tried rolling over. She looked up at Danny's worried face and burst into laughter.

Danny's face slowly relaxed as he realized she was okay. "Hold that thought. We'll have to continue it another time. Can't have you getting hurt while I'm here, the doctor might kick me out." Danny said with a smirk.

"Oh, and we couldn't have that." Lindsay said, rolling her eyes. She lay down and put her head on Danny's chest, relishing the fact that she was able to be this close to him. She inhaled deeply, taking in everything about him – his scent, his messed-up hair, his bright blue eyes. As he brought his arms around her to hold her she snuggled deeper into his chest. She didn't want this moment to end.

Underneath her, Danny was thinking the same thing.

---------------

Adam looked at the computer screen in front of him and saw gibberish. He had absolutely no idea what the computer was displaying. And this was saying something, as Adam had never been stumped by a computer problem in his life. He puzzled over this for a moment before sending Mac a text. Maybe he would have some idea as to what this meant.

Some time later, Mac and Adam were both staring at the computer screen, wondering what to make of these symbols that had been downloaded off the recovered DVD.

"It must be some type of code, probably to do with the Tanglewood Boys. It could be their form of communication about sensitive issues. But I have no idea how to decode it. There seems to be no pattern to the characters." Mac stared at the computer screen for the umpteenth time, willing it to show him something more.

"I can try running it through decoding programs, but it doesn't look like anything I've seen before. I doubt we'll get a hit." Adam looked over at Mac to try and gauge his reaction. "If we can't figure it out, then we'll have to call in the federal code-breakers."

"I know." Mac wasn't happy about that prospect, but didn't know what else to do. He had one last hope. "Adam, make a copy of this. I want to let Danny take a look at it before we send it off. Maybe he can get something out of this. I know I can't make heads or tails of it."

"Sure boss." Adam answered.

Mac stalked out of the office, headed home for the day. Tomorrow he was going to be up bright and early.

---------------

"Hey Stel, wait a sec." Flack said quietly.

"What's up?" Stella froze in mid movement; halfway out of the SUV Flack had driven them to the hospital in.

"Nothing big, you've just got the seat belt hooked around your purse." Flack looked at Stella and smirked. Stella could feel her heart speed up to a few hundred beats per second.

"Oops. Thanks. That could have been ugly." Stella said, hoping that Flack wouldn't notice the waver in her voice. She was trying to hide her disappointment. She had thought for a moment that he was going to ask her something else. _It was one kiss Stella. Don't' expect too much._ _He might not feel the same way about you._

Flack walked around to her side of the SUV and they walked up to the hospital side by side. She was pleasantly surprised when Flack opened the door for her, and then led her through, his hand at the small of her back. She hoped he wasn't looking at her at that moment, because she couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face, making her look ridiculous she was sure, but she didn't mind.

"Stella! Flack! Hey you guys!" Lindsay squeaked out from her hospital bed. "It's so good to see you!"

"Good to see you too Linds." Flack replied with a chuckle. He was laughing because of the position Lindsay was in. She had obviously woken up moments before they walked through the door, as she looked rather disheveled, and she was stuck underneath Danny's arm.

Danny grunted and rolled over, opening his eyes reluctantly. He got one glimpse of Stella and Flack standing by the door and closed his eyes again.

"Well, I guess this means the cat is out of the bag now doesn't it?" He said grimly.

Stella didn't answer. She just had a smug look on her face that she gave to Danny. He just looked back at her sheepishly before rolling off the bed.

"Hey Danny, why don't you grab some food with Flack, you must be starving. You haven't left this room in hours."

"I get it Montana. You want your girl talk with Stella. Alright, alright, I'm leaving. Come on Flack, let's go grab some coffee. I need caffeine."

"Right behind you Messer." He turned to Lindsay. "Glad to see your okay Lindsay, if not for your sake, then mine." Lindsay looked at him, obviously a little confused. "If you hadn't pulled through, I would have had a really distraught Messer on my hands. That would have been one horrible punishment, created by the Gods to punish me on some cosmic level." He grinned as he walked out, a complaining Danny chasing him down.

Stella grinned at Lindsay as she sat down in the chair recently vacated by Lindsay. "Well?" Stella looked at her expectantly.

"What?"

"Don't play stupid with me Lindsay. How are you and Danny doing?"

"I'm fine aside from a few aches and pains, thanks for asking."

Stella looked a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I should have asked how you were doing. I mean you just woke up, and already I'm badgering you for information on your love life. That's really rude of me."

Lindsay was laughing. "It's okay Stel. I'm fine, and so is Danny. He's been here for so long I think he is probably on first name terms with all the doctors and nurses in the building."

"Only if they wouldn't tell him information about you. You should have seen him earlier Lindsay. He was badgering every nurse in this place to tell him what was going on. Jason had to plop him down, darn near handcuffing him to that chair. He had to promise him hourly updates on your status to keep him from freaking out."

Lindsay laughed. That sounded like Danny all right. "He told me he loved me." Lindsay said quietly. She was still a little surprised by that fact. His words had sounded so sincere, and she was mesmerized when he had said them to her.

"I know."

Lindsay looked up in surprise. "When you were still asleep, he told me. He was nervous, scared that if he said it, you wouldn't feel the same way. I told him he was wrong. Anyone looking at the two of you would know that you were in love. It's the way you flirt with each other and joke around while at work, they way you are comfortable with each other even in awkward circumstances. You trust each other, and Danny is obviously devoted to you enough to stay in a hospital room, chained to a chair and not let go of your hand for a day. Your eyes when looking at each other – it's something not many people find."

Lindsay was shocked. "How long have you known that?"

"Longer than you. There was an office pool set up only a few days after the two of you met. Come on Linds, we investigate things for a living. If we couldn't figure you two out, then we probably aren't very good at our jobs. You two were pretty obvious."

Lindsay could feel the red creeping up into her cheeks. So everybody had known for a long time had they? She had met Danny almost two years ago. So the lab had known for that long? She didn't know what to think, so she blurted out the only thing her mind could process. "Flack already told me about the office pool. But I didn't know that you all knew so much. I thought it was just a little bet."

"Well, not anymore. Flack won over three hundred dollars. That pot had been building up for a long time. Lots of people involved. I mean, come on Lindsay. Why couldn't you have waited one more day? That was my pick." Stella pouted as she looked at Lindsay. Suddenly, both women burst into laughter and it took several minutes for the fits to subside.

"Speaking of my conversation with Flack, he let something slip. And I guess as I have nothing to worry about people finding out about _my_ relationship, then he will be granted the same honor. He mentioned a crush on a certain curly-haired CSI."

Stella blushed. Lindsay smirked. "From your reaction, I'm guessing he's already expressed this to you."

"I trust you'll keep this between you and me?"

"Well, and Danny."

Stella just looked at her, causing Lindsay to burst into laughter once again. She was saved the trouble of responding as Dr. Boldt walked in at that time.

"Glad to see you awake Ms. Monroe. If it's okay, I'd like to do a quick exam."

"Sure. I'll talk to you in a few minutes Stella."

"You bet." Stella left to go find Danny and Flack, happy to see Lindsay doing so well. And she trusted Lindsay. She wouldn't tell everyone about her and Flack. Would she?

"Well, Ms. Monroe, you seem to be progressing remarkably well. Do you have any pain?"

"Not really, only when I move awkwardly, or bump my shoulder."

"That's good to hear. As long as there are no complications, I think you can go home tomorrow, assuming you have someone to stay with you at home."

Lindsay briefly thought of Danny and smiled. "Yes Doctor. There will be someone at home."

---------------

Danny made it back to Lindsay's room an hour or so later, saying farewells to Flack and Stella. After having Jason and Mac stop by, Danny was glad to finally have a quiet room, consisting of only him and Lindsay. He smiled at her once, as he climbed up onto the bed next to her. It wasn't long before both of them were asleep.

Unbeknownst to the sleeping couple, a cell phone was vibrating away on the table next to them. It belonged to Danny, and the caller ID said "Dad". It rang twice, and then was silent.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. They belong to the brilliant writers of CSI: NY. Song lyrics are from the Moody Blues.

**A/N:** So, I am a little disheartened, the season is coming to a close with the season finale this Wednesday. But from the clips I have seen, it is going to be one hell of an episode. It'll probably make this story seem like crap. Oh well.

When the sun goes down,  
And the clouds all frown,  
Night has begun for the sunset.

Shadows on the ground;  
Never make a sound,  
Fading away in the sunset.  
Night has now become  
Day for everyone.

Danny was happy. There was no other word for it. Well, maybe ecstatic was another word. He watched the door to the bathroom intently. In a moment, Lindsay would walk out of there, ready to go home. And where was home? At his apartment. She had agreed to stay with him while she recovered. He couldn't wipe the grin off his face. Yesterday, he didn't know whether or not Lindsay was going to survive. Now, she was coming home with him.

Just then, Lindsay stepped out of the bathroom, moving a little slower than normal, but otherwise okay. She took one look at Danny and nearly ran back into the bathroom. He looked really good. He had finally showered and cleaned up, and now was staring at her with those bright blue eyes. She started to feel warm all over, just thinking of what might happen in the next few days.

Danny stepped over to her and grasped her hand firmly in his.

"Let's go home." Was all he said, but it was enough.

An hour later, Danny was finally settling down. He had made up a room for Lindsay to stay in, with the pullout couch for a bed. He hoped that he wouldn't need to use it, but it was there just in case. He glanced over at Lindsay, who was sitting on his couch, watching the Yankees game. He had never met a girl who was so into sports before. He ran his eyes over her, and thanked all the gods he knew and even the ones he didn't that Lindsay Monroe wanted him. How he got so lucky, he didn't know, but he was sure thankful.

When Danny's cell phone rang, he reluctantly left the sight of Lindsay to answer it.

"Messer."

"Danny, it's Mac. I was hoping you could help me out. We recovered the DVD from the crime scene, but it is encoded. This is a type of code no one at the lab has seen the likes of before. I was hoping you could take a look, and possibly discover something, before we have to turn it over to the Feds."

"Sure Mac. Do you want me to come into the lab?"

"If you could. Lindsay would be welcome to come as well. Everyone wants to see her, they were all worried."

"Sure Mac, we'll be over there in an hour or so, once we get ready."

"See you then."

They both hung up, and Danny was left wondering what code had been used that was so impossible to decipher. And if he could understand it, what would he find? That DVD had obviously been worth killing for. Did he really want to know what was on it? He looked over at Lindsay once more. She had almost died recovering that DVD. Of course he wanted to know what was on it. He wanted to put those SOB's away for a very long time and throw away the key. And the key was that DVD.

As Danny hung up with Mac, he noticed the light was blinking, telling him he had messages. He looked at the caller ID for them. _Dad._ His thumb hesitated over the button, but then he pushed the one next to it instead. A message popped up. _Deleting message._ Danny had no wish to talk to his father. He didn't want to hear what he had to say. He didn't care.

---------------

Sonny Sassone was pondering his options. He had to kill Danny Messer. But how to do it? And should he do it personally, or hire a hit? It would be easier to do it personally; obviously it would be done right. But if he was implicated, this lazy house arrest he was given would be traded for much harder living quarters. And should he kill the girl? That was the other big question to be answered.

Sonny sat down in front of his fireplace, and stared into the empty pit. It had been pure genius to poison Figlioni with peanuts. Absolute genius. He had to come up with something good for Messer. Just then, a light bulb flashed on. He had it. This was to be unrivaled by any murder he had committed in his past. It was brilliant.

---------------

Joey Messer couldn't sleep. He looked at his wife beside him and thought about all the things he had done to her. He had beaten her, yelled at her, smacked her, and more, yet she was still here. _Why? Why didn't she leave?_ Joey reasoned that the answer had evolved. First was for their sons. Louie and Danny had meant everything to her. When Louie died, a part of his wife went with him. Joey couldn't bear to tell her that he had been behind Louie's death. Despite what it may have looked like, he loved his wife. Just like he had loved his sons. Now she stayed by him for love. And why she still loved him, only God knew.

Joey thought back to when Danny was fifteen. He was a bit of a wimp, and no good to go into the family business of organized crime. Louie was the only one good at that. But while Joey had grown farther and farther away from Danny, his mother never had. She was the one to save up enough money for him to go to a good school. She was the one who helped him move to the Flacks' house for a more stable environment. She was also the one who called Danny about Sassone's release. She still cared. So why was it every time that Joey thought about his son, he got angry? Shouldn't he feel some love? Even when Louie had been killed, he felt very little. To Joey, family was the business. If you betrayed the business, it was like treason within the family. It was the worst thing you could do.

Joey sighed and tried to take his mind off Danny's hit. There would be nobody to carry on the family name of Messer. No more organized crime from the Messers. Joey sighed. That was inevitable. Even if Danny were to live, he would never enter organized crime. It was too late in that sense. So did he really need to die?

Joey lay awake for hours, and by the time he fell asleep, the sun was already beginning to rise.

---------------

"Lindsay! It's so good to see you! I'm glad you're okay, everyone was so worried!"

Lindsay sighed as yet another person from the lab came running up to her to wring her hand and tell her how glad they were that she was okay. She had never met half of these people before. How did they even know who she was?

She figured she would have to suffer through a lot of this for the next few days though, especially when she was in the lab. She also knew that she was going to have to get over the stares everyone was giving her, as she walked through the lab, holding on tightly to Danny's hand.

Danny meanwhile, quietly surmised that there were probably a lot of angry people, realizing that Flack had won the office pool. He smirked at the thought.

After what seemed like a lifetime to the two CSI's, they made it to Mac's office, wading through all the stares and gasps following them.

Mac was all business as he saw them enter, hand in hand. He gave them a brief smile before explaining to Danny what the DVD contained.

"Neither Adam nor I could make heads or tails of it. It looks like complete gibberish to us, and obviously, we would prefer not to hand it over to the Feds. Does it make any sense to you?" Mac asked as he showed Danny a printout of the symbols.

"Yeah. It does. It's a common code used by Tanglewood. They use it because it's good. Hardly anyone can break it because there is no base language. They literally pulled lines and symbols out of thin air to make sentences and words. But the real hard part is that it is also written in shorthand. So, a code-breaker will be unable to decipher anything, as there is no basis in the English language. There are almost no equivalents to vowels, and words, even when written out after a translation can look like gibberish."

"But you can decipher this? You can understand what it says?"

"Yeah. It was a lesson I was taught at a young age. Listen Mac, I can give you the translations for all the symbols, and then you can decode it first. I don't want to get mixed up in this if it could jeopardize the case."

Mac looked down at the young man with pride. He remembered when even recently, those would not be the words that came out of Danny's mouth. He would be more concerned with revenge than what was good for the case. When Aiden had died for example, Danny had been very concerned with getting some "alone time" with the suspected killer. When he had gone and talked to IAB after the shooting of an undercover officer, even after Mac had explicitly told him not to; that was the old Danny Messer. Mac could see how much Danny had changed in the past two years, from a cocky young police officer, to a smart, street-savvy young detective.

"Thanks Danny. That's a good idea. You can go home, and get it to me whenever you can. Take your time and do it right. I don't want to see you in the office for a few days at least, spend some time with Lindsay." He gave a nod in her direction as Lindsay thanked him profusely. "Now. Both of you go. Spend some time together and recuperate. Glad to see you feeling better Lindsay." Mac said with a smile, and then walked out in the direction of the elevators.

"Come on Montana. Let's go home." Danny said, whispering it into Lindsay's ear. She giggled once, knowing what he meant, and lead him silently out of Mac's office.

---------------

Danny hit his front door hard. It had taken him and Lindsay longer than normal to make it up to his apartment door. He dug his hand into his pocket to try and find his key when Lindsay nearly made him fall over.

"Damn! The doctor said nothing strenuous for a while Montana! What are you calling this? You're nearly killing me here!" Danny pleaded with her.

"Don't ruin the fun Danny. I'm fine." She responded, giving him a little nip on his earlobe.

Danny moaned as he tried desperately to unlock his front door. It had never seemed so difficult before today.

"Aha!" Danny exclaimed when he finally swung his door open. He felt a little embarrassed actually. He was way too proud of the fact that he had opened a door. Oh well. Montana _was_ making it rather difficult after all.

They stepped inside Danny's apartment, lips fiercely locked onto each other's eyes glossy and full of lust. Danny kicked the door shut behind them and they wandered off in the direction of the bedroom. Danny picked Lindsay up, and her legs automatically wrapped around his as he carried her over to the bed. He laid her down on top of it, and got down beside her. He had been waiting for this moment for a very long time.

"I love you." He whispered softly into Lindsay's ear.

"I know. I love you too." She replied, pulling his mouth into a kiss.

---------------

Danny was the first to wake up the next morning. He glanced around the room, squinting because he didn't have his glasses on. There were clothes thrown around the room, and the sheets were untucked, wrapped tightly around the woman lying next to him. He smiled. Last night had been absolutely amazing. He had had a taste of heaven, and knew that he wanted every morning to be like this one. He wanted to wake up every morning and see Lindsay's face, see her lying next to him. He loved her so much; he felt his heart would break if he couldn't see her for even a short time.

He rolled out of bed gently, trying not to disturb Lindsay. He saw with a pang of guilt that there was a little bit of blood on the sheets, and that it looked like Lindsay may have slightly torn her stitches. It didn't look bad, but he would have to wake her up in a few minutes to check properly.

Danny walked into the kitchen to start preparing breakfast when he saw the light on his answering machine blink. He hit the _play_ button and wandered over to his fridge. He froze when he heard the message.

_Danny, it's your father. We need to talk._

Danny stared at the phone. What the hell was his dad thinking? They hadn't spoken in years, and now, suddenly he needed to talk to Danny the moment he was implicated in anything illegal? Danny shook himself mentally and deleted the message. But there were four more just like it.

_What the fuck is so important?_ Thought Danny. He was getting angrier by the message. First his cell phone, filling up his inbox with messages, now hi home phone. The more his father tried to contact him, the more positive Danny became that he wasn't going to like what his father was going to say.

He started when the phone rang. He picked it up quickly so as not to let it wake Lindsay. He didn't check the caller ID.

"Messer/Monroe residence."

"Daniel. Why the hell haven't you called me back?"

_Damn. Is it too late to hang up? Probably. Ok Danny. Just tell him you don't want to speak to him, and maybe he'll stop calling. If you keep ignoring him, he'll keep calling, so suck it up, here we go._

"I haven't called you because I haven't wanted to speak to you. I thought that would have been made obvious."

"I don't care if you want to speak to me or not. This is important."

"I don't care what you have to say!" Danny realized he was yelling and quickly shut up, hoping Lindsay was still asleep.

"Well you need to hear it whether you like it or not. You're in danger."

"Don't you think I know that? Anytime Sassone is involved, I'm in danger. I get it, and I don't need your help."

"Don't hang up just yet. You and me both know that you're in danger, but someone else is too. Someone who, judging by the way you answered your phone, you care very deeply for. Someone who you don't want getting hurt."

Danny stayed silent. This wasn't good. This was really bad. If Lindsay was involved, she was in danger. He could handle it if he was in the line of fire, but if Lindsay was dragged into this mess because of him, then he would never forgive himself.

"What do you mean?" He said, anger creeping into his voice.

"I mean that if you don't take my advice, the next time you see her, she might be at one of your crime scenes; and not as an investigator."

"She's safe for now, what else am I supposed to do?"

"Are you sure she's safe?"

Danny felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. He dropped the phone and sprinted to the bedroom. He heard rustling in the room and felt his heart pounding. How could someone have made it into his apartment?

"Lindsay!" He yelled as he opened the door and went running into the bedroom.

"Danny! I'm getting changed! Do you mind?" Lindsay replied, terrified at Danny's reaction as he had run through the door.

"Sorry." Danny muttered. "Just something my dad said got me paranoid.

"You talked to your dad?"

"Yeah, he said-"

Danny never got to finish his sentence because at that moment, he was hit over the head, and knocked to the ground. He heard a scream, and watched momentarily as Lindsay struggled with an attacker. He felt something hit his head again, and everything went black.

**A/N2:** I'm sorry for all the drama, but I can't seem to control the direction this plot goes. It just wanders off in its own direction. So please review and tell me if I should try and put more control on my plots, or keep them the way they are. Hit that blue button, and I'll try and respond to all of you who review. Thanks to you readers who keep me going!


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. And apparently I have no need for them to be because the season finale did it better than I could ever have.

**A/N:** So. I have hardly any motivation to write after seeing the season finale, it was just that good. So please review and tell me it's not completely pointless for me to carry on. If I get lots of encouragement, there will be another chapter posted soon. If I don't, well, there will probably be another chapter anyway, but I do appreciate reviews!

Dear diary, what a day it's been.  
Dear diary, it's been just like a dream.  
Woke up late. Wasn't where I should have been.  
For goodness sake what's happening to me?  
Write lightly, yours truly, dear diary.

It was cold outside my door.  
So many people by the score.  
Rushing around so senselessly.  
They don't notice there's people like me.  
Write lightly, yours truly, dear diary.

They don't know what they're playing.  
They've no way of knowing what the game is.  
Still they carry on doing what they can.  
Outside me, yours truly, dear diary.

It's over. Will tomorrow be the same?  
I know that they're really not to blame.  
If they weren't so blind then surely they'd see.  
There's a much better way for them to be.  
Inside me, yours truly, dear diary.

Stella wandered into the lab with a grin on her face. She had spent her night with Flack at the local billiard hall, with him teaching her how to play. She could hit the ball at least, and she wasn't too bad, but there was no fun in letting Flack know that. She had thoroughly enjoyed him placing his hands on top of hers to guide her when she hit the ball. She felt a smile creep over her face at the thought. If she hadn't had to work early this morning, she was sure the night would have lasted longer. But looking on the bright side she was working with him today.

Stella wandered down to Mac's office to get her assignment. She was surprised to find him absent, and decided to wait for him at his desk. Even that man had things to do outside of work Stella reminded herself.

She was waiting patiently for Mac when his phone rang. She looked at the line and started to get a little worried. It was ringing on the case only line, where the dispatchers would let Mac know of a crime scene. And he wasn't here to take the call.

She picked up the phone and answered. "Detective Taylor's office, Detective Bonasera speaking."

Stella listened patiently to the report and recorded the information on a pad of paper. Neighbors heard disturbance, police took a look, found signs of struggle and blood on the floor. Stella thanked the dispatcher and hung up. Then she looked down at the address she had just scrawled out. It looked very familiar.

Stella's eyes widened as something clicked into place. She whipped out her cell phone and called Mac hurriedly. _Pick up, pick up! Come on Mac! Where are you?_

"Hey Stella, sorry I'm late, I got held up in traffic. I'm just walking down the hallway now; I'll see you in a moment."

He hung up before Stella had a chance to say anything other than "Okay."

She fretted as she waited for him to come into view. She ambushed him as he rounded the corner to step into his office. She shoved the piece of paper into his face, startling him.

"Stella, what are you doing?" Mac said, bewildered by Stella's actions.

"Just look at this Mac. Look at the address."

He looked at it, and clued in much faster than Stella had. "That's-"

"Danny's apartment. And Lindsay is with him." Stella finished. "Mac, what do we do?" She looked at him, and she saw he was as scared as she was.

---------------

It had been a long ride to Danny's apartment for Flack. He had gotten the message over the police radio while taking a coffee break. He left, giving the cashier a twenty for a three-dollar coffee and running out the door. The lights and siren were on before Flack had realized he had made it to his SUV. He just couldn't understand what had happened.

Flack ran into Mac and Stella waiting for the elevator up to Danny's apartment. They all had the feeling of dread that accompanied them when an officer was involved. Mac felt the same as he had when he had heard about Stella's officer involved shooting. The feeling as though your stomach had made a sudden drop to your knees – a feeling of helplessness.

The three detectives stepped up to Danny's apartment, guns drawn. They weren't taking any chances. Flack stepped into the apartment first, through the open door, and the sight that he met nearly made him drop his gun and give up then and there. Mac and Stella followed with the same reaction.

"What the hell happened here?" Flack wondered aloud, voice shaking.

There were upturned chairs and dishes smashed around the place. There were rugs thrown around and overturned, but most prominent, and worst of all, was the trail of blood drops leading to the door, ending in a small amount of blood that had been smeared, by the looks of it, with a hand.

Mac walked into the bedroom and saw Danny's glasses, lying broken beside the bed. "Ok. We need to grab samples of this blood, bag any other evidence we can find, and do it as fast as possible. This is a kidnapping, but I don't think they want money out of it. I think they want both of our CSI's dead."

Mac's voice sobered up Stella and Flack quickly. Their friend's lives were hanging in the balance. And all they could do was process the scene as best as they could.

"I'll take the bedroom, Stella; you take the main room, Flack; look around for a sign of anything in the other rooms. Bag whatever you find. But be quick and thorough. We don't have a lot of time."

The three detectives got to work quickly, each wondering if they would ever see their friends alive again.

---------------

Danny woke up to a startling headache. He had been hit hard by something. Everything was a little fuzzy too, and he realized that he was no longer wearing his glasses. Well, that would make things a little bit more difficult. He painfully moved his head to the side and realized his hands were handcuffed together around a pole behind him. He moved them around a little and discovered another pair of hands, wrapped around the same pole and handcuffed, just like his.

"Lindsay?" He murmured softly, grabbing the hand.

"Danny?"

"Yeah, it's me, are you okay?"

"I think so. I got hit pretty hard, but I finally got the bleeding stopped. What about you?"

"I'm okay, just a bit of a headache. Do you know where we are?"

"I haven't got a clue. Obviously some type of building that's been abandoned, but that doesn't narrow it down much."

"Do you have your phone on you?" Now that he knew Lindsay was okay, his only thought was getting out alive.

"Yeah, but the battery is dead. It's no good at all. What about you?"

"No go. It's sitting on the bar in my apartment."

Lindsay made a noise of frustration at the predicament they were in. "What's their point? Who are they and why did they take us here? What do they want?"

Danny didn't answer. He knew who sent them, although he never did get a look at their faces, and he also knew that all they wanted was for him to be dead, which didn't explain why they were still alive right now. After he had seen the two masked men in his apartment, he had thought he was never going to wake up again. "I don't know." Was all he said aloud.

"Are we going to make it out of here?" Came Lindsay's voice, and Danny's heart broke when he realized she was crying.

"Yeah. Of course we're going to make it out of here. We're both strong, we're cops, and we've got the whole crime lab looking for us by now. We'll get out of here."

Danny shuffled around the pole to get as close to Lindsay as he could. She leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder, just like she had that day at the courthouse. That seemed like an eternity ago. Danny closed his eyes and tried to remember how good that had felt, knowing that their worries were over, that they had a chance at a happy life – together. All of that seemed to be a lifetime ago and Danny wondered if he would ever feel so carefree again. He opened his eyes and looked once more at his surroundings. He focused on Lindsay's head on his shoulder, trying to block out everything else. He was going to get them out of here. Somehow, he was going to get Lindsay out of here. That's all that mattered to him anymore – making sure she was safe.

---------------

Stella sat in front of Adam, staring at him intently. Any moment now, he would read out the results to the blood test and tell them who it belonged too.

"And the blood belongs to – Lindsay." Adam answered. Instead of being calmed down, Stella's heart raced faster.

"Wait, there's another donor. It's XY, and it doesn't match Danny."

Stella's head shot up when she heard Adam say this. Could it be possible that their suspect had cut themselves? If it didn't match Danny, then who could it match? It had to be the suspect's!

"Run it through AFIS Adam, and let's hope we get something." Stella said, hope creeping into her.

"You bet."

"I'll wait here for the results if you don't mind."

"Stella, it could take hours, are you sure you want to wait?"

"I'm sure. This is the only thing that matters. It looks like we're drawing a blank on everything else. All we've got is that there are signs of a struggle. Danny and Lindsay fought hard against their attacker. It makes sense that he could have been cut." Stella looked skyward and mumbled a quick prayer that the results would show something. _Please, let there be a match to whoever did this. They need to be caught. Please._

Hours later, the computer had finally popped up with a blank _No Match_ staring at them, laughing silently. Stella shook, as she tried not to cry. This case was turning sour quickly. If they didn't find something probative soon, they were out of options.

"Run it through the other databases as well. Missing persons, anything. It's a shot in the dark, but we have to try."

Adam nodded, knowing that she was unwilling to accept the most likely probability. Stella thanked Adam and turned to leave, but was stopped abruptly when she heard a beep from the computer that could only mean one thing. Stella couldn't believe her eyes. In the city employee's record, there it was. _Match Found._

---------------

Jason Flack looked at himself in the mirror and was disgusted by what he saw. His left eye had swollen up and was turning a dark shade of purple, and his nose was still bleeding slightly, swollen to almost double its normal size. He looked like a clown with a balloon for a nose. Time to put his EMT skills to use.

He walked over to his fridge, grabbed a beer and an icepack and threw himself down in front of his television. Hopefully this would heal soon, before too many people saw him like this.

He felt guilty. He had gotten himself into this predicament and deserved worse than the bloody nose and black eye. He deserved a blow to the head to wake him up. He deserved a slow, painful death. He blinked back the tears from his eyes. He wasn't a horrible guy. Really. He was a nice guy who had gotten into some trouble. All he had wanted to do was run with the big guys for a few days. Show them that he was tough enough. He had taken a lot of begging to get into that poker game. And then he had lost over ten grand.

Jason grimaced. He had always gone through life being overshadowed by his father, a decorated police officer, and then his older brother Don, a star cop right out of high school. He was always second-best, and it had gotten a little annoying. It wasn't like he was really bitter about it, but it did get to him every now and then. So, when he was given the opportunity to run with the big guys, he took it. It was a chance to feel big and important.

But he should have known better. He owed Sassone over ten grand and had no way to pay it off. So what did he do? He gave him information and help. He gave him the spare key to Danny's apartment, and helped him grab Danny and Lindsay. He helped kidnap them to save his own skin. And he felt unbelievably guilty.

Danny was like a brother to him, and Lindsay was a friend. He had betrayed not only them but his family as well when he had given in to Sassone. He knew now that he was being used, that the poker game had probably been fixed to get him to lose. All Sassone wanted was his ties to Danny. And he had gotten it.

Jason shut off the TV and stared at the blank screen. All he wanted to do was put an end to the guilt. He didn't want to think or feel anymore. He just wanted it to be over. He walked over to his gun case and stared at it. He could do it. One pull of the trigger, and it would all be over. It would be quick and virtually painless. Jason entered in the code and pulled out a gun. He stood there, staring at it for a long time. Then he jumped when his phone rang.

"Flack." He answered, trying to keep his voice steady.

"What the fuck did you do with them? I knew something was going to happen. I tried to warn Danny. I thought you'd help him. I thought you'd keep him safe. Instead I find out you were behind it. You did this to him!"

Jason heard the man saying this to him and got angry. "I didn't do this you bitter old man! You did it! You caused this whole thing, starting from when Danny was only a kid. You tormented that kid so bad, it's a wonder he turned out as good as he did. This is all on you. And you were the one who agreed to the hit on him! Don't turn the blame onto me!"

"Sure, blame me all you want, Jase. Face the facts. I may have put out the hit, but I had no intention of seeing it through. I called him to warn him about you. I heard you were going and figured if he knew, you could help him get out of it. He would never be taken down if it was both of you against one attacker. I tried to save him!"

Jason slumped down, all fight gone. "I know." He said. "I just wish I hadn't done it. I wish things had happened differently. I don't know what to do Joey. I don't know what to do. And I never expected Lindsay to be there. She's innocent. I didn't want to take her, but I didn't have a choice. I deserved the hit to the face that she gave me. And I wish she had hit me harder. Maybe then I would have stopped. Maybe I wouldn't have done it. I'm so sorry."

Joey heard the frustration in the other man's voice and knew what he was feeling. When it was your own life on the line, you acted differently. It was a rule of nature. Every human wants to live, and it takes a very selfless person to do otherwise. Joey had done the same thing several times. The only thing that kept him alive was knowing he was going to do whatever it took to keep his only son alive. He would risk his own life, doing the right thing for once.

"You can still fix this Jason. They aren't dead yet. Where are they?"

"At an abandoned warehouse in the Bronx. I don't know exactly where it is. Sonny drove. It's scheduled to be demolished tomorrow morning. Sonny thought it would be the easiest way to kill them. I just brought them there with him, and handcuffed them to a pole in the building. I wish I hadn't done it Joey. I wish I hadn't done it." Jason broke, and started sobbing.

Joey heard Jason's distress and felt softened by it. Very rarely did he understand what it felt like to be in a position like that, but here he was, standing in a position that was completely identical. Someone you cared for, being put to death because of your mistake. It was a feeling that could be rivaled by nothing else. As Joey stood there, listening to the sobs on the other end of the phone, he felt his emotions well up. Going after Sonny would mean death. If he were to successfully take down Sonny Sassone, and thus cripple the Tanglewood Boys, he would lose his life. There was no doubt about it.

Joey looked down the hall at his sleeping wife, and at the family portrait that was hanging on the wall over her side of the bed. The previous happy family that now was only a memory. Louie was still alive, and Danny was smiling. For once, he was going to put family above everything else. For once, he was going to do the right thing. He would spend his last hours making sure that Danny would never have to go through something like this again. It was going to be the last thing he ever did, but that wasn't going to stop him.

"Call the NYPD and leave an anonymous tip about the kidnapping. Tell them what you know about the abandoned warehouse. They'll find it. Hopefully in time. I'm not giving up on them."

With that, Joey hung up, grabbed his coat and walked out the front door, trying not to wake his wife.

---------------

"New York police Department, how can I help you?"

"I have some information on the kidnapping of Detectives Danny Messer and Lindsay Monroe."

---------------

"Mac!"

"What is it Stella?"

"We got a hit on the blood from Danny's apartment. There were two donors. One matched Lindsay, and the other was an unknown male."

"This can't be right."

Mac frowned down at the name written on the piece of paper. "I can't believe this. Jason Flack?"

**A/N2:** I'm thinking about wrapping this up, this will probably be the final dramatic event of the story. My guess is another chapter or two plus an epilogue. Let me know what you think!


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** I hope that you understand none of this is mine. It all belongs to CBS and Jerry Bruckheimer; although I hope they don't mind me borrowing them to keep myself entertained during the season break. Song lyrics are from the Moody Blues, and I don't own Burt's Bees lip balm either.

Work away today, work away tomorrow.  
Never comes the day for my love and me.  
I feel her gently sighing as the evening slips away.  
If only you knew what's inside of me now  
You wouldn't want to know me somehow,  
But  
You will love me tonight,  
We alone will be alright,  
In the end.

Give just a little bit more  
Take a little bit less  
From each other tonight  
Admit what you're feeling  
And see what's in front of you,  
It's never out of your sight.  
You know it's true,  
we all know that it's true.

Mac looked up at Stella once again. "You mean to tell me that Jason's DNA was found in Danny's apartment?"

"That's what it says. And I got Adam to re-check it too."

"Is there anyway that it was there from before this incident?"

"It was on top of the donation from Lindsay." Stella said, looking none too happy about it. "There's no way Mac."

Mac felt disgusted. He had done this. He had been the one to send Jason over to take care of Danny. He couldn't have done it. There was no way. Jason had been there when Lindsay was in surgery, he had been there for Danny, and he had helped the whole team. This wasn't right.

"I can't believe he meant to harm either one of them Stella. We need to bring Flack in for questioning and ask him why his blood was at the crime scene. We need him to tell us what happened. You bring him in personally Stella. I'll file the paperwork and work on getting a warrant. Call me when he gets here."

"Okay."

Stella walked out of the office, not even noticing the bewildered coroner standing next to her. Sid stared after her down the hallway. Flack? _Their_ Flack had his blood found at the crime scene? There was no way.

Sid walked off down the hallway in search of Flack, to ask him what was going on.

---------------

Flack was in search of Stella when Sid ran into him.

"There you are! I have been looking for you. Have you talked to Stella or Mac recently?"

"Not recently no, I was just looking for... Mac" Flack changed his answer halfway through, hoping that Sid wouldn't pick up on it. He had absolutely no reason for wanting to find Stella, except that he wanted to see her. Better not let Sid know too much. He had a killer taste for gossip.

"I think you might want to see him quick." Sid said, looking a little worried.

"Why? What's up?"

"I just think that they need to talk to you about the case, you've been linked to it."

"What do you mean?"

"I really shouldn't be the one to say it..."

"Spit it out Sid!"

"Well, they found your blood at the crime scene."

A puzzled expression spread across Flack's face. "That doesn't make any sense"

Sid opened his mouth to answer when Mac came walking up. Sid took a look at the expression on Mac's face and decided that goodbyes could be said another time.

"I've got an autopsy to get to. I'll see the both of you later." Sid walked briskly to the elevator and headed back down to the morgue. He would really have to work on his communication with live people. He worked much better with the dead, and his mouth was always getting him into trouble with the people who were alive enough to repeat what he said.

Mac looked after Sid for a moment, and then turned to face Flack. "Don, I need to talk to you."

"Sid just said that you found my blood at Danny's apartment? What's going on Mac?"

Mac looked at him, momentarily confused, and then a light bulb flashed on. "What exactly did Sid tell you? Because we didn't find your blood at the crime scene Don."

"Oh." Flack felt his cheeks turn a little red and smiled sheepishly. Sorry."

Mac's face remained somber. "Don, I still need to talk to you. Please come and sit." He gestured toward his office and Flack walked off in that direction.

"So? What do you need to talk to me about?" Flack asked.

"We found an extra blood donor, mixed in with blood we matched to Lindsay at Danny's apartment. The donor was XY."

"And?"

"Don, the blood matched your brother."

"What? Well, that must have gotten there at some point while he was staying there, I mean, he can't be involved in this. That's not right Mac." Flack was shaking his head, looking at Mac. "Jason wouldn't do anything to Danny, he's like our brother, and Lindsay's a friend too, why would he do something like that? Have you talked to him about it yet?"

"Stella is bringing him in now. I need you to stay away from this case Don. You can't have any part in it. "

"Well you shouldn't either! You know him!"

Flack was angry at Mac. He couldn't believe that his brother had done anything to harm Danny or Lindsay. They were like family. Mac couldn't be right. He just couldn't.

---------------

"What do you have in your pockets? Anything at all?" Danny asked Lindsay.

"I've got nothing, a little loose change, a couple paperclips, and some Burt's Bees lip balm. Not much at all." Lindsay responded, frustration evident in her voice. "What about you?"

"I've got even less. A lighter and a pen." Danny made a noise in the back of his throat and pulled on his restraints.

Danny thrashed for a moment, earning himself some cut up wrists from the handcuffs, before he finally subsided and gave up.

Lindsay felt him moving around beside her although she couldn't see him very well. It was dark, and the light was not getting better. There was little light filtering in from outside, and Lindsay saw that there was only one window at the far end of the building that had a crack of light filtering through it. She stared through the crack, thinking about what she would do when she got to smell fresh air and see sunlight again. Because she _would_ see sunlight again. And she would be able to hold Danny, feel his body next to hers, with no restraints, and no worries. She thought longingly about the day that it might happen. But it wouldn't unless they found a way to get out of here. And with loose change, paperclips, lip balm, a lighter, and a pen, that wasn't looking promising.

Lindsay moved around, the uncomfortable metal of the pole digging into her back. She felt her hand around until she found Danny's sweaty palm. He was as nervous as she was, although he was trying not to show it. He grasped it tightly, and they sat like that for a few minutes before Danny sat up quickly. There, in the corner of the building, near what he thought was the entrance, there was a shadow moving. He strained his ears, trying to catch a moment of sound. There! A shuffling noise in the corner as the figure came into view. Lindsay sat up too, staring ahead, and Danny was amazed to see who their surprise visitor was.

---------------

Flack stood outside the interrogation room, looking at his brother inside. He could see plainly the cuts and bruises plaguing Jason's face, and knew that something had happened. He felt actual, physical pain in his stomach to think that his brother had done something like this. It wasn't right. He saw the determined look on his brother's face and knew that it was over. He had turned into the very type of person Flack tried so hard to take off the streets. He felt tears welling in his eyes as he tried not to cry. He walked into the side room, which was currently empty, and sat down. He looked around, made sure he had privacy, and let the tears fall. His shoulders shook silently as he tried to stop himself from crying. But he couldn't do it. He felt so lost, his own brother involved in the kidnapping of two of his best friends.

Flack was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't even notice Stella walk in. She took one look at Flack and walked right over to him, kneeling in front of him.

"Don, there was nothing you could have done. This wasn't your fault. Jason made his own choices."

Flack immediately sat up straighter and began wiping the tears off his red face.

"It just feels like I did something. I could have changed this. I should have figured out something was wrong. He's my brother Stella. I should have been able to do something to prevent this."

Stella felt her heart break just to see Flack look like this. He was normally so composed and strong. But here he was with no walls and completely vulnerable. She grasped his hand tightly, and looked into his eyes. Those blue eyes, normally so lively, but now they were full of pain and sorrow.

"Right now, you need to understand that Jason did this, not you. But while dealing with what's already happened, we need to find Danny and Lindsay. That's what's important right now. What's done is done."

Stella hated to be rushing him like this, but she knew Flack needed a pick-up that would get him moving again.

"Okay."

Flack stood up, still holding Stella's hand as she led him out of the side room. He looked like a lost puppy dog, blindly following its master. Stella took him to the break room and sat him down with a cup of coffee. He looked so sad; she wondered if he would ever be the same again.

---------------

Mac slammed the door to the interrogation room shut as he walked out. He was pissed off. Jason Flack for Christ's sake! Jason Flack did this, and to make it worse, he was refusing to give up the others involved, and he was refusing to divulge any information about where Danny and Lindsay were. His two detectives' lives were hanging in the balance. Jason could tell him where they were, help Mac save them, but he wouldn't. Mac was getting more and more frustrated. This wasn't getting them anywhere.

Mac rubbed his eyes as Peyton walked over to him. She grabbed his hand and whispered in his ear. "Take a break. Come get a coffee with me." Mac nodded blindly and let her lead him out of the lab.

"Jason obviously has some serious motivations for not telling you anything. If the people involved in the kidnapping are who you think they are, he could be getting blackmailed with someone's life." Peyton told Mac. "He is not an evil person."

Mac looked up at her with a pained expression on his face. "I don't know what to do Peyton. I thought that he could be trusted. I sent him to Danny's apartment to watch over him, not kidnap him! The least he could do would be to tell me how to save my CSIs' lives!"

Peyton grimaced. "Mac, you need someone to talk to him that is going to get through to him."

"I have to let Don talk to him." Mac replied, comprehension setting in.

Peyton nodded, taking a sip of her tea. "I know you'll save them Mac. You just need to calm down and think clearly. When you're angry, you help nobody."

Mac smiled back at her, kissed her on the cheek and ran back to the lab. He needed to find Flack.

---------------

Flack was starting to feel a little bit better when he saw Mac walking towards him.

"How are you doing?" Mac asked, voice laden with sympathy.

"Better." Flack answered, his voice sounding rather monotonous. "I just wish I could talk to him Mac. Just find out what happened from his view. I know I can't but that's what I want."

Mac smiled at him. "Flack, today, that is exactly what I want. I need you to talk to Jason, see if he'll tell you anything else. He loves you, you're his brother, and you might be able to get through to him. Give it a try."

Flack looked energized at the thought. "Where is he?"

---------------

Twenty minutes later, Flack walked out of the interrogation room looking weary. He had gotten through to his brother. Jason had spilled the whole story fairly quick after talking to Flack. The only problem was that Jason didn't know everything about the operation. He had told them that Sonny Sassone was the operation's ringleader. He had told them that his spare key had been used to get into the apartment. He had also explained the details of the operation, how Sonny didn't want to be caught, so the CSIs were to be trapped in an abandoned building due to be demolished. It had seemed like Jason was going to be able to save Danny and Lindsay after all, but then he had muttered something that had nearly made Flack give up right then and there.

"I don't know where the building is. Somewhere in New York was all Sonny told me. He drove them out there and left them. He's the only one who knows where they are. And you have until tomorrow morning before it gets blown up."

---------------

Danny looked up into the face of his father and felt an emotion he had never connected to his father before. Gratitude.

"Dad, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to get you out of this mess, son."

Lindsay stayed silent, watching the exchange.

"How'd you know we were here? I don't even know where we are."

"That isn't important. Look, I know Sonny Sassone is behind this, and we need to get you out of here."

"Thanks Dad." Danny said.

Joey pulled out a hacksaw and leaned over to start cutting the chain between Danny's hands.

"Get Lindsay's done first." Danny said, looking over at her.

Joey nodded and moved over, sawing away at the handcuffs that were binding her.

After a few minutes, Lindsay was able to pull her hands free and stand up. Joey then started on Danny's handcuffs. Barely a moment after Joey started, he stopped abruptly.

"Dad, what is it?"

Joey was looking over at the side of the building, peering off into the darkness. "Nothing. Just thought I heard something."

He went back to setting Danny free when the two men came out from the shadows holding baseball bats.

"Well, well, well, Joey Messer, back to save his son. Who would've guessed he had a heart."

Joey looked up and went as pale as a ghost. Sonny was back, flanked by a man who was over six feet and must have weighed over two hundred pounds.

"I was just... just..." Joey didn't know how to get out of this one. He was stuck. He turned to Lindsay and said one word: "run". Then he turned and walked over to the two men. He barely spoke a word before he was hit. Danny watched from his makeshift prison as his father was beaten right in front of him.

Joey yelled for Lindsay to get out of there, and Danny yelled his father's name, before all was silent. Sonny made one movement towards Lindsay before she turned and ran out of the building, leaving Danny behind.

Danny watched her go, pained expression on his face. He then turned and looked at his father, lying on the ground, unconscious. "You think you're a big man, think that no one can stop you. We've got that DVD. It's what you want isn't it? Well, you're going to have to kill me like you did my brother. And I'll die laughing, knowing you're going to get life in prison." Danny was speaking from anger; he didn't even hear the words his mouth was saying. He just wanted to piss off Sonny, make him feel as angry as Danny felt at that moment.

"Well, I guess I'll leave you here then. There's no one left to save you, your friends at the crime lab will be too late. I have to go find your girlfriend. Please excuse me."

Sonny and the other man walked out of the building, leaving Danny there, thrashing and yelling curses at Sonny. He muttered a quick prayer to no one in particular. _Please, let Lindsay be okay. _Then he looked at his father and started to cry.

---------------

Mac looked at his watch. He had called a staff meeting to explain the details of the case. It was four-o-clock by the time everyone was assembled.

"I trust that by now, many of you have heard that this morning, two of our CSIs were kidnapped. Lindsay Monroe and Danny Messer are currently being held in a building in New York City. We know two things – this building is scheduled to be demolished at eight-o-clock tomorrow morning, and it is some type of abandoned warehouse. I need some of you to go through the City records to find out what buildings are due to be demolished."

"There are a lot of possible buildings; do we have any idea where in the city this building is?" Adam asked.

"Absolutely none. We know very little. I need all lab technicians to process this evidence before anything else. We have less than sixteen hours to find them and get them out of there. Let's get going."

Everyone was just leaving the room when Mac's cell phone rang. He was a little surprised. Everyone who would be calling him was in this room. He looked at the caller ID and saw a number he didn't recognize.

"Taylor"

"Mac, it's Lindsay."

**A/N:** Okay, so I only have a couple of chapters left in me before I wrap this up, please let me know what you think, give me lots of input, and I hope you all enjoy reading this chapter, as I do try and live up to expectations of twists in the plot. So go hit that blue button!


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** So, for my next birthday gift, I will wish for the rights to own these characters. But until that happens, nothing you see here is mine. Except Jason! And Joey! I thought them up, with my brilliant mind. But don't give me too much credit. Everything else belongs to CBS and Jerry Bruckheimer.

Be it sight, sound, the smell, the touch.  
There's something,  
Inside that we need so much,  
The sight of a touch, or the scent of a sound,  
Or the strength of an Oak with roots deep in the ground.  
The wonder of flowers, to be covered, and then to burst up,  
Thru tarmack, to the sun again,  
Or to fly to the sun without burning a wing,  
To lie in the meadow and hear the grass sing,  
To have all these things in our memories hoard,  
And to use them,  
To help us,  
To find...

"Lindsay?" Mac was astonished to hear the voice of the Detective come through the phone. "Where are you?"

All of the people who were in the staff meeting turned and fought their way back into the room at Mac's words. Stella stood right next to Mac, trying to listen into the conversation.

"I don't know where I am. I'm in the middle of nowhere; I just found this payphone on the side of the road. Mac, he's got Danny and his dad! They're still in there, and Sonny came and he's mad, you have to find us!"

Lindsay was nearly in hysterics as she tried desperately to explain the situation. Mac coaxed her and helped her slow down. "Lindsay, calm down, okay? I need you to slow down and answer my questions. Do you see a street sign near you at all?"

"No, there's nothing with street names but there's a sign about 100 feet down the road. It has a detour direction posted, about construction."

"That's good Lindsay. Anything else that can help us?"

"There aren't a lot of high-rises around here, it's mostly flat ranchers. I can see the Manhattan skyline though, way off in the distance."

"Okay, Lindsay, listen to me, if you see a car come by, try and flag them down. Get them to give you a location. Do you have more change? Can you call us back?"

"Yeah, I'll try Mac."

"Good job, Lindsay. I think we have enough to find out where you are. What's the payphone number?"

Lindsay answered, reading it off the back of the receiver.

"Good. I think we can pinpoint your location now."

The payphone hung up then, spouting off about how more money was needed in Lindsay's ear. She hung up the receiver and walked down to the road. It wasn't very busy, but she was going to have a tough time trying to stop someone as it was. Most New Yorkers were not exactly the politest of people. She walked beside the road, concentrating on making eye contact with a driver, and trying not to think about how she may never see Danny's eyes again.

Meanwhile, Mac was desperately trying to find out where Lindsay was.

"Okay, Adam, look up construction sites outside of the immediate city, near any warehouses scheduled to be demolished. Chad, try and find out where this payphone is located, let's move people!"

Mac directed the lab workers like troops in battle. The crowd of people quickly dispersed, leaving Mac, Stella, and Flack behind.

Mac tried to call back the payphone and got a recorded message telling him that the payphone he was trying to reach did not accept incoming calls. _Great. _

Mac turned to Stella and saw a frightened expression on her face. Flack was standing next to her, complete astonishment pushing through all other emotions. Mac walked out of the break room and headed to his office. "I'll be in my office if you need me. We can't do much until we get the results."

Stella nodded and Flack grunted his okay. After Mac left, Flack turned to face Stella.

"Stel, do you think they're going to be okay?"

Stella looked at him for a long moment before answering. "Yeah. They'll be okay. Those two are the strongest people I know. They're going to get through this."

She moved forward and wrapped her arms around Flack, pulling him into an embrace. He leaned into her, breathing in her scent and found himself relaxing just slightly.

"What would I do without you Stella? I think I'd go crazy. This whole thing with Jason and Danny and Lindsay is driving me insane. I don't think I could do this without you here, just to see you."

Stella looked up into his eyes and saw raw emotion there. She took a moment to respond, but when she did, her tone mirrored his.

"I'm here." Was all she said. She didn't need to say anything else.

---------------

Lindsay wandered down to the road. _How does one go about stopping a driver on a road like this?_ She wondered. _Let's find out!_

She looked down the road, and saw a silver Porsche heading towards her. She stuck a hand out, waving towards the side of the road. The driver looked right at her, flipped her the finger and kept on driving. _How rude!_ Was Lindsay's first thought.

The next car she saw was a burgundy old beater on the opposite side of the road. She stepped into the road, waving both hands over her head to get the driver's attention. At first, she thought he was just going to keep on driving, but then she saw brake lights as he pulled onto the shoulder.

Lindsay sprinted over as fast as she could, but was still wary enough to realize she may want to keep her distance.

"What can I do you for?" the driver said. Lindsay gave him an appreciative look. He was a young man, probably in his mid twenties, and wasn't hard on the eyes. Lindsay shook herself mentally. _Definitely not what you want to be thinking about right now!_

"Um, sorry to bother you, but I was hoping you could tell me what street this is? And maybe the nearest cross street? I'm completely lost."

The driver laughed once, and gave her all the information she needed. She thanked him, and was just about to let him go when she saw Sonny and his crony walking in the distance toward the road.

"Sorry to bother you even more, but could I sit down for a moment?"

The driver looked a little puzzled but let her sit in the passenger seat for a moment.

"Thanks, I just need to tie my shoes, and take a moment's rest."

"Sure, no problem." He said, looking at her as though she was from a different planet. It was made even more awkward by the fact that both of Lindsay's shoes were tightly tied.

After a few minutes, Lindsay looked out the window and saw Sonny driving a dark blue ford pickup down the street. She thanked the driver again and left. He drove away looking as though he was glad to see the back of her. It had been an odd experience to be sure.

Lindsay walked back over to the payphone, fed it the necessary change and relayed the information to Mac.

"Awesome job Lindsay. Adam has just found a building in that vicinity. Stella and I are on our way. We'll be there as soon as we can."

Lindsay hung up, walking back toward the building where Danny was.

Meanwhile, Mac grabbed his coat and grabbed Stella, running to the department SUV. They were lucky. They still had two hours before the building was scheduled to be blown up. They were going to make it.

---------------

Danny's shoulders were shaking and his mouth and nose were scrunched up tightly. To an outsider, looking from a distance, it may have looked like he was laughing. But he was really trying to prevent tears from falling. His father was lying in a heap, just meters away from him, but Danny was helpless to do anything. He cursed the restraints, holding him back form embracing his father, preventing him from doing what he hadn't done since he was a very young boy. And by the looks of it, may never do again. He thrashed a little more, unable to accept the fact that he could do nothing but watch.

"Dad, come on dad. Wake up." Danny heard his voice and thought he sounded like a young child again. It was a little boy's voice issuing from his mouth, Staten Island accent missing.

Danny tried sliding the cuffs off his hands, but succeeded in nothing more than cutting his wrists to pieces. "Damn it! For fuck's sake!" Danny rattled off another round of swear words, hoping that something would come; someone would come, to get him and his father out safe. And Lindsay – he needed to see her again. He had to see her again. He needed to tell her he loved her one last time. He needed to prove it to her.

"Lindsay. I love you." He whispered into the darkness. "God, I love you. You're my life. I can't live without you. I hope you're okay." He was startled to hear a response to his ramblings.

"I love you too." Replied Lindsay walking over to him. She knelt down beside him and caressed his face. "I'm okay, and I'm here for you. I can't live without you either."

Danny saw tears silently streaming down her cheeks and his followed.

"Mac and Stella are on their way, along with a whole cavalry of people. We're going to get out of here. I promise."

---------------

Stella looked sideways at the driver of the SUV. Mac's expression was stern, and Stella was afraid that he was about to blow a gasket. Or at least pop a vein. His mouth was tightly clenched and a vein was throbbing in his forehead. Flack was seated in the backseat, looking a little pale, but determined.

Mac turned onto a side road, sirens blaring and lights flashing. Stella got a bit of a scare when she looked at the speedometer. Better not go there. She fidgeted in the silence, just as anxious as the two men to make it to the building, to get Danny and Lindsay out alive.

---------------

Lindsay sat, curled up next to Danny, holding him tightly. He couldn't describe the feeling she had. She just couldn't get close enough to him, couldn't sense enough of him. She wanted his scent to be stronger, his flesh to be warmer. She wanted his eyes to be brighter and his accent to be thicker. She needed him to be a part of her, to be with her, in every sense of the word. She couldn't get enough of him. She squeezed him tighter and whispered in his ear.

"I love you Danny. Promise me you'll never go."

"Where would I go? I'm lost without you." Tears welled up in Lindsay's eyes when she heard him say those words to her. Through all this drama, first her past, and the court case, moving on to his past, and their current predicament, they remained together, still loving each other. Lindsay knew he was the one.

"Lindsay, when we get out of here, when all this is done, I think we should get married. I love you, and I could never be happy without you. What do you think?"

Lindsay looked at him and smiled. "I think that we should worry about getting out of here first, but when that's over? I think we should get married." I love you too Danny. More than you'll ever know."

Lindsay snuggled closer into Danny's side, wanting to get home safe. She knew they would. Mac and Stella were on their way, Sonny had left. They were going to make it out alive. The emotions Lindsay had been feeling for the past few days boiled over and she found herself sobbing into Danny's side. He looked at her and gave way to his own mixed emotions. He cried too, happy that he could be with Lindsay, and terrified that his father may not make it out alive.

Both heads popped up when they heard the sound of approaching sirens. Lindsay jumped to her feet and stared out the door.

"I'll be right back Danny. I'm going to go get them."

Danny nodded and Lindsay ran out of the building. She yelled down to them, waving her arms and practically jumping. Tears fell, and she was overjoyed, watching Mac, Stella and Flack jump out of the SUV, running towards her. She ran down the road the side of the building to meet them. They met part way and Lindsay saw several patrol cars in the distance; obviously Mac had driven faster than any of the other cars had dared to.

Stella ran right over to Lindsay and crushed her in an embrace. "Lindsay! Oh my God! You're safe, we were so worried! Is Danny still inside?"

"Yes, he is. He's handcuffed, so he can't get out. Do you have keys?"

Flack went over to the SUV and pulled out a set. "Here we go." He said. "I'll go get Danny."

"I'm coming." Answered Lindsay, jaw set, determined expression on her face.

"We're all coming." Responded Mac, as he led the way up to the building.

The group of Detectives had taken no more than a couple of steps when Lindsay froze. "What's that noise?" She asked.

"It sounds like a whistling, like escaping air." Responded Flack.

Mac turned and faced the building. His stomach dropped.

"Take cover!" he yelled, turning away. "Get back!"

"No!" Lindsay cried. "Danny's in there!"

As if in slow motion, all four detectives turned to face the building. A click was heard, and Lindsay felt that familiar sensation of déjà vu. For the second time in her life, she was thrown backwards as the bomb in the building went off, her third time being caught in an explosion. She hit the ground hard, sensing the others going through the same trauma as her. Her head hit something hard and she fought to stay conscious.

Mac recovered first, jumping to his feet. "Stella, Flack, you okay?"

He heard two groans in response and saw them get to their feet.

"Lindsay?'

Lindsay looked up into Mac's face. She knew she was going to be okay, but she was definitely going to pass out. "Find Danny. He was inside. Mac, find Danny." Then the blackness creeping in from the corners of her eyes took over, and all was lost.

**A/N:** I'm sorry. That was probably really mean. But I promise Lindsay doesn't die. Neither does Flack, Stella or Mac. Anyway, there will be one more chapter, I have a feeling it will be fairly long, and then an epilogue, and that's all she wrote. Well, all I wrote. So please review, and let me know what you think. The more reviews I get, the less likely I will be to kill off anyone. So please review!


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** Unfortunately, they're still not mine. Lyrics are from Opeth this time. And this song is not hard metal in case any of you who recognize the band name were wondering.

**A/N:** So, thanks for all the reviews! That was the largest number I've had for a single chapter so far! I'm not sure whether it was because of my pleading, or because you wanted to convince me not to kill off Danny. Please people, what about Jason or Joey??? Anyway, please enjoy the final chapter of this story. There will be an epilogue coming after this, but I'm not sure how long it will take. Hopefully that will answer all questions you have left over. Enjoy!

I can't see the meaning of this life I'm leading  
I try to forget you as you forgot me  
This time there is nothing left for you to take, this  
is goodbye

Summer is miles and miles away  
And no one would ask me to stay

And I should contemplate this change  
To ease the pain  
And I should step out of the rain  
turn away

Close to ending it all, I am drifting through the  
stages  
Of the rapture born within this loss  
Thoughts of death inside, tear me apart from the core  
of my soul

At times the dark's fading slowly  
But it never sustains  
Would someone watch over me  
In my time of need

Lindsay opened her eyes and blinked once. She was staring into the eyes of a paramedic, who took the opportunity to shine a flashlight beam into her eye.

"Hey!" Lindsay cried out in indignation. "That's bright!"

The paramedic leaned over and told someone that she would be just fine, that there was nothing to worry about. Lindsay looked over and saw that the person the paramedic was talking to was Mac.

"Can I go now?" Lindsay asked politely.

The paramedic nodded once and Lindsay jumped out of the back of the bus and followed Mac over to where Stella was standing.

"Where's Danny?" She demanded. "Did you find him? Have you been in there yet?"

Mac looked at her with a pained expression on her face. "We've been waiting for the fire department to clear the area. They'll find him Lindsay. Don't worry."

"I know they'll find him, Mac, but will they find him alive? We both know that there's a good chance he'll be coming out as a body!" Lindsay screamed this and collapsed into Stella's arms in tears. "He can't be dead. He can't be."

All three detectives looked over to the building behind them. Stella's personal opinion was that there was no way anyone could have survived the blast. The building was leveled, except for a pole sticking out of the building. It looked like the pole had prevented that part of the building from collapsing completely. But Stella held little hope. There were patches of flames dancing around, firemen desperately trying to put them out before they reached all the flammable material nearby.

Lindsay's knees buckled as she took in the scene. How could Danny have survived that? There was nothing left. Nothing at all. She sobbed, shoulders shaking as Stella tried to comfort her. But that was a battle Stella knew she would never win. So soon after Lindsay surviving a near-death experience, she was kidnapped and managed to escape, moments before the building blew up, leaving Danny behind. How do you comfort someone going through that?

_Why me? Joey saved me, because Danny told him to. Danny could have been safe. It's my fault he was still there. Why didn't I get him loose before I went to get help, I should never have left him. This is all my fault._ Lindsay's thoughts were flying around her head, trying to decipher what had happened.

She looked up when the Chief firefighter came over to talk to Mac.

"We've secured the area as much as we can. We're going to search for the two men still inside. You're welcome to join us if you want. We could use some help locating them."

Lindsay jumped to her feet. "I'm going." She said.

Mac looked at her and said bluntly, "No, you're not. You need to rest; you were just caught in an explosion and hit your head hard. I don't want you wandering around an unsafe building."

Lindsay's expression shot daggers at Mac, and he recoiled from the look she was giving him. Not many things scared him, but this look was one of them. Her voice was shaking as she replied to Mac.

"I was in that building with him, and escaped moments before it blew up. If you think that I am going to stand by and watch, then you are seriously senile. I don't care if it means I lose my job. I'm going in there."

Mac looked once more at her face, sighed and nodded. Lindsay walked off in the direction of the building without another word.

She led the Chief towards the pole where Danny had been handcuffed, the one part of the building that hadn't been completely flattened. She held onto her hope. There was room for him to still be there. She quickened her pace and started to run.

As she entered the rubble, she called out. "Danny! Danny, it's me, can you hear me? Danny, where are you?" She waited impatiently for the firemen to remove a few pieces of rubble, opening a pathway into the building.  
Lindsay saw a shadow and ran to it. She stopped at the pole, looking at her feet. Joey was lying about eight feet away and Danny was right at her toes. He was still handcuffed to the pole. His eyes were closed, and for a moment, Lindsay's breath caught. Her lungs felt like they had been set on fire, unable to move them, a burning feeling present every time she tried.

As Mac, Stella and the fire Chief came running up to where Lindsay was collapsed, holding tightly to Danny's slim form, they glanced at each others' faces, relief present.

For Lindsay had seen the telltale sign of Danny's chest moving up and down. While he was unconscious, he was still alive. He was still with her.

---------------

Flack greeted Stella and Mac at the door to the Lab. Stella gave him the run-down, telling him about the rescue. "Joey and Danny are in the hospital. They're both in critical condition, Joey isn't expected to survive. Danny is hanging on for the time being. Lindsay is there with them." Stella finished, looking up at Flack. He nodded once, and then responded with some information of his own.

"Mac, Jason is willing to flop on Sonny. He wants to testify against him, in return for a lighter sentence. He says he's got enough dirt on Sonny to put him away for good. What do you think?"

Mac was silent for a moment, thinking about it. "I think Jason deserves a second chance." He said finally. "I'll put in a recommendation to the DA, and we'll get it done. There's a patrol car out, ready to pick up Sonny now, and there's a state-wide APB out on his car as well."

Flack nodded, and couldn't help but feel relieved that his little brother might get out of this without too much jail time. He still had a chance to turn his life back around.

Mac veered off to his office to go take a call from the DA, while Stella and Flack headed into the lab. Stella began to work on processing the evidence that she had collected at the building. She started to put the pieces of the bomb back together, with some help from Flack.

"Sonny isn't as smart as he thinks he is. He didn't care about leaving fingerprints on these bomb pieces. We've got him!" Stella said gleefully, giving Flack a hug.

Flack's arms wrapped around Stella automatically when she hugged him, but now, he was having trouble removing them from her. He didn't want to give up the touch that was giving them a physical connection. Then he noticed that she wasn't fighting either. They stayed like that for a few moments longer, before Stella whispered into Flack's ear.

"I don't want to let you go."

She had said the one thing that Flack was thinking, and he gave her a gentle squeeze. "Neither do I. But, Mac needs these results. Why don't we grab a drink when this never-ending shift finally ends?"

Stella laughed weakly. "I'd like that."

The two of them walked out of the Lab, in the direction of Mac's office, hand in hand.

---------------

_Suspect Sonny Sassone has been located, in a dark blue Ford pickup, license plate number A2T9B1, heading South on the Interstate. Requesting backup to apprehend suspect._

Flack heard the call over the police radio, grabbed his coat and sprinted out the door. Stella would have to tell Mac where he had gone.

Flack ran to his unmarked car, turned on the lights and siren, and peeled out of the underground parkade faster than he thought was possible. It didn't take him long to get to the Interstate. He joined the squad cars and radioed his progress to them.

Thankfully, Sonny decided to pull over without incident, and Flack took the lead in approaching the car. He unholstered his sidearm and placed his hand around the grip, ready to pull it out if needed. Then he stepped up to the car.

"Sonny Sassone, place your hands on the wheel where I can see them. No sudden movements."

"What seems to be the problem officer?" Sonny asked, playing dumb.

Flack was starting to grow agitated. "Step out of the vehicle."

Sonny did so, and Flack whispered in his ear. "I would have thought you'd learned your lesson the first time around. Don't fucking mess with us, we will bring you down."

"I ain't got nothing to worry about. Not as long as it's you who's trying to bring me down." Sonny answered with a sneer.

Flack slammed Sonny up against his pickup truck. "You're going away for life. Sonny Sassone, you are under arrest for murder in the first degree, aggravated assault, parole violation, conspiracy to commit murder, and attempted murder. Don't worry. I'm pretty sure we'll nail you on at least half of those charges. That's already life in prison, in case you were wondering."

Sonny glared at Flack and then, suddenly leaned forward and spat. Flack calmly wiped his face clean.

"Now, why'd you have to go and do that? That's a lot of paperwork for me. See, I have to add assaulting an officer of the law to your long list of charges now." Flack gave Sonny an evil grin. He was going to look forward to this trial. He was going to be on that witness stand, ensuring that Sonny never stepped foot outside a jailhouse again.

---------------

Lindsay stood in the waiting room to the ICU, bouncing on the balls of her feet. She hadn't been allowed in to see Danny since she got there. She could only look through the window into the room, but she couldn't see much. There were probably a dozen hospital workers, flitting around Danny's bedside and the bed next to him where Joey lay. The more time that went by, the more scared Lindsay became. The small glimpses of Danny that she could catch when the doctors moved only served to scare her more. She wrapped her arms around herself and closed her eyes, trying to remember what it felt like to have Danny holding her.

Lindsay felt a hand on her shoulder and for just a moment, indulged in the fantasy that it belonged to Danny, that it was him comforting her.

Then she opened her eyes and looked at the person standing behind her.

Stella's kind eyes looked into her face. Lindsay would have cried if she'd had any tears left, but her eyes were too dried out from all the crying she had done while in the waiting room.

Stella looked at Lindsay, and her heart broke to see her friend like that. She looked so lost, and she looked like she had been through a huge ordeal, which of course, she had. Her hair was tussled, thrown haphazardly into a ponytail, and her makeup was gone, the only marks on her face were tear-stains. Stella pulled her into an embrace and whispered the good news into her ear.

"We got him Lindsay. We got his fingerprints on the bomb, and Jason's testimony. We can get that DVD decoded, and we can get not only Sonny, but all the Tanglewood Boys. They'll never be able to come after anyone like this again."

Lindsay nodded, unable to muster up the energy required to speak. She was happy, really, she was. But the only thing that mattered to her at that moment was Danny.

Stella sat her down and Lindsay complied. She was so exhausted that within minutes, she was sound asleep. Stella looked at her sleeping form and prayed that Danny would be okay. Because if he wasn't, then she doubted Lindsay would ever be the same again.

---------------

"Lindsay. Come on, Lindsay, wake up."

Lindsay opened her eyes and peered around the room she was sitting in. She slowly sat up; trying to work out the kink in her neck she had received from sleeping in that chair.

The first thing Lindsay noticed was that the room was silent. Everyone from the lab was there, but nobody was speaking; they were only looking at her.

"You can go in and see him now Lindsay." Mac said. Lindsay tried to read his look, but he gave away nothing.  
With everyone looking, she opened the door to the ICU and walked in, to Danny's bedside.

There was already an empty chair next to him, and she accepted it, sliding herself next to the man she loved. She was scared to touch him. He had so many tubes and medical machines hooked up to him, that he looked like the bionic man, only halfway through completion. The heart monitor said he was alive, but Lindsay couldn't help noticing the pale complexion of his skin, and she tried not to relate it to the dead bodies she saw all the time at work.

She reached forward and gently put her hand in Danny's. "Hey. Danny, it's me. I'm here for you. Now don't leave me okay? You've made it this far. Don't leave me." Lindsay's voice was shaking and it was unusually high-pitched. She could feel more tears making streams down her face as she looked at him. She leaned forward and her shoulders started shaking. She shut her eyes in an attempt to block the tears, but it was to no avail. They spilled over anyway as she held onto the hand of the only man she had ever considered marrying. It just wasn't fair! They were happy, he had asked her to marry him, and she had heard the sirens, meaning they were safe. She remembered the feelings she had at that moment. It was unbelievable happiness. It seemed so distant right now, and she wondered if she would ever feel happy again.

"Lindsay?"

Lindsay kept her head down; sure she was imagining the voice of the speaker. It was probably Mac, or Flack, speaking to her, sounding so unsure. So why had she heard the distinct drawl of a Staten Island accent?

She lifted her head and saw Danny, eyes squinted open, and hand clutching hers. A grin spread over her face so fast, she was sure it was going to break her jaw. Danny lifted his hand and touched her cheek. Lindsay closed her eyes relishing his touch and she placed her hand on top of his.

"I'm here. I mean, what kind of a guy would I be to leave my fiancée behind huh?"

Lindsay couldn't speak. Danny was alive, and he wanted her. They could be together. They could be happy. Lindsay leaned forward and kissed him gently.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

It was at this point when the rest of the team, who were still waiting in the side room, decided to come in and see Danny for themselves.

Lindsay smiled as she looked around. She was so lucky right at this moment. How Danny had survived, she would never know, but she could only thank whatever entity had helped him with it. She looked around the room, at her friends, and then she looked at Danny. She grasped his hand once again, another smile breaking out over her face. She looked into Danny's eyes and she saw that goofy smirk slide over his face. After all they'd been through, this was it. It was over. They'd taken it one day at a time, and now, as the day was about to begin, they were ready – ready to be happy.

**A/N:** Just in the event that you don't know what the ICU is, it's the Intensive Care Unit, where people who need constant monitoring go. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I know that it's been a bit of a rollercoaster ride, but I ended up giving you your happy ending! Thanks to all of you who have read and reviewed this story, you've been great, and thanks to all of you who are just reading too! There will be an epilogue in a little while. That should tie up all the loose ends I've left behind.


	16. Epilogue

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Lyrics are from Paolo Nutini, song is "Still Crazy". I couldn't resist.

**A/N:** I know, it took me a long time to get this posted, but I had the dreaded exams... And now I am ready to write again. Yay!

Shut me out completely,

That would not be such a sin.

Lock up every entry,

Make sure that there's no way for me to get in

Won't try to pry them open,

Never mind knock upon your doors.

Truth is that there's no reason for me to even see your face anymore.

But I need your ears and I need them now I've got something to say,

I'm not here today to win you back just to remind you that.

Sure as the rain starts to fall,

Yes I'll always remember you dear.

And though we don't talk anymore,

I was crazy for you; yes I was crazy for you, that's for sure.

Nothing's ever easy; I think we both know that it's true.

I was convinced you loved me, and I was pretty sure that I loved you too,

When was our final moment, what's your favourite might have beens.

When was my fatal error that changed the way you thought of me ever since.

Cos I made you smile and I made you laugh, I made nice gestures and surprised you enough?

And I made you come, but I made you cry,

I wish this was true but I'm not gonna lie.

So sure as the rain starts to fall,

Yes I'll always remember you close

And though we don't touch anymore,

I was crazy for you; I'm still crazy for you, that's for sure.

Still crazy for you, still crazy for you, still crazy for you

Danny stood under a black umbrella. The weather was horrible. It had been raining every day since he had stepped out of the hospital. _How's that for weather imitating life?_ He thought. He looked next to him and saw Lindsay standing there. Her face was blank, and he realized that this was as hard for her as it was for him. He turned his head forward to look ahead and tried to listen to what the priest was saying.

All he got was something about living a good life, someone being a good father and husband. Danny couldn't really hear. All his senses felt a little foggy. It seemed to take hours before the priest finally crossed the air in front of him and finished the prayer.

Lindsay's hand found his and squeezed tightly as he felt tears well up in his eyes. He looked over at her and saw she was doing the same. He pulled her into a hug, and they stood like that for a long time. Finally Lindsay pulled away.

"Are you ready to go home, or do you want to stay a little while longer?" Danny looked into her eyes and saw the sincerity in her eyes, her face full of concern.

"I just want to say a quick goodbye. I'll just be a minute. But I need to do it alone."

Lindsay nodded, gave his hand another squeeze and went to stand next to Danny's mother, who was waiting near the parking lot.

Danny slowly began the walk to the gravesite that now belonged to his father. The gravediggers had just moved away, and the ground had been freshly laid on top of the casket Joseph Messer was now calling home.

"Hey dad." Danny choked out. "I'm sorry you had to go. It wasn't your time. I don't care what you thought. It wasn't your time to go."

Danny thought back to his final conversation with his father.

"_I knew when I got into this that I wasn't going to make it back out, son. Nobody messes with Sonny Sassone the way I did and gets away with it. But I had to do it. I lost Louie and I wasn't going to lose you too. I wanted to die knowing I had done the right thing for once in my life."_

"_You didn't have to do it dad. You don't have to die now. Don't give up on me."_

"_Daniel, when the doctors refuse to give you a straight answer, it's because they don't want to give you an answer. And when they don't want to give you an answer, it's because the answer is one you don't want to hear. I'm getting old Daniel, and there's nothing they can do for me except give me pain medication."_

"_I don't want you to go dad. After all we've been through, it's not fair!"_

"_Life isn't fair. If it was fair, then it would be easy, and if it was easy, the world would be perfect. But hey, I've done too much stuff in my past to be granted an easy way out. I deserve an early death, and I'm just grateful that I get my chance to apologize to you before I go. I'm sorry for all I put you through as a kid. And I'm sorry for all I put you through as an adult. I haven't made life easy for you, and yet you turned out good anyway. I don't know where me and your ma went right, but something happened, and I couldn't be happier. Now, don't worry about me, go on and live your life like you should be able to. And give your ma some grandchildren"_

"_I'll never forget you dad. I owe you –"_

"_Nothing. Go on home. I'm pretty sure there's a short, brown-eyed country girl waiting for you there."_

"_Dad –"_

_Danny had stopped then when he had seen his father's eyes close, knowing that they would never open again. He squeezed his hand, kissed his forehead, and whispered "I love you." _

Danny looked at the words written on his father's tombstone. _Loving father, loving husband._

Just weeks ago, Danny would have thought those would be the last words anyone in their right mind would associate with his father. Now, his mind had been changed for him. His father had died saving his life, and giving him a chance to move on, without the horrors of his past there stalking him.

With a whispered "I love you, dad." To the wind, Danny walked back up to the parking lot, towards Lindsay. He grasped her hand and led her to their car without a word.

It had been three weeks since the warehouse, but it felt like a lifetime to Danny. They drove back to their apartment in silence. It had been a rough day for the both of them.

"How are you doing?" Lindsay asked as they walked through the door to their apartment.

"Not that bad actually. The best thank-you I can give my dad is not to mourn him too much. I know this is the way he wanted to go. Risking his life to save us. He wanted to die honorably, to make up for the rest of what he had done. He told me that. So the last thing I can do for him is to make sure that I don't forget him."

Lindsay came up behind him and gave him a hug, kissing the back of his neck. "He loved you. It's just a shame that he won't be there to see us get married."

Danny smiled and turned around pulling her into a hug. "He'll be there." He grasped her left hand and looked at the ring perched on her third finger. It was nothing too ambitious, but it fit Lindsay perfectly. It was a gold band with a simple diamond on it. It was part one of two rings. The wedding ring that she would get would go on after her engagement ring, sliding together and matching like two pieces of a puzzle, meant to symbolize their two hearts. He had explained this to her and she had kissed him senseless for what she called "the romanticness of it" But it was the engraving inside it that truly showed how Danny felt.

_For my Montana. 'Til death do us part. _

When he had presented it to her, she had cried and embraced him, soaking his shirt. That was the happiest day of Danny's life. Lindsay Monroe was going to marry _him._ And he was never going to let her go.


End file.
